THE WOOD IBIS. 
561 
These curious feathers, with their light polished, golden surface, afford a pretty contrast to 
the glossy green-black of the chest and wings, and the pure white of the neck and abdomen. 
The following description of the bird and its habits is written by Mr. Gould, in the “ Birds of 
Australia.” 
“ This beautiful Ibis has never yet been discovered out of Australia, over the whole of 
which immense country it is probably distributed, as it is more abundant in certain localities 
at one season than at another ; its presence, in fact, appears to depend upon whether the season 
be or be not favorable to the increase of the lower animals upon which the vast hordes of this 
bird feed. After the severe drought of 1839, it was in such abundance on the Liverpool plains, 
that to compute the number in a single flock was impossible. It was also very numerous on 
the seaside of the great Liverpool range, inhabiting the open downs and flats, particularly such 
as were studded with shallow lagoons, through which it would wade knee-high in search of 
shelled mollnsks, frogs, newts, and insects ; independently of the food I have mentioned, it 
feeds on grasshoppers and insects generally. The natives informed me that sometimes many 
seasons elapsed without the bird being seen. Where, then, does it go ? To what country does 
it pass ? Does there not exist a vast oasis in the centre of Australia, to which the bird migrates 
when it is not found in the located parts of the country % We may reasonably suppose such 
to be the case. 
“ The Straw-necked Ibis walks over the surface of the ground in a very stately manner ; it 
perches readily on trees, and its flight is both singular and striking, particularly when large 
flocks are passing over the plains, at one moment showing their white breasts, and at the next, 
by a change in their position, exhibiting their dark-colored backs and snow-white tails. During 
the large semicircular sweeps they take over the plains, and when performing a long flight, 
they rise tolerably high in the air ; the whole flock then arrange themselves in the form of a 
figure or letter similar to that so frequently observed in flights of geese and ducks. 
“The note is a loud, hoarse, croaking sound, which may be heard at a considerable dis- 
tance. When feeding in flocks they are closely packed, and from the constant movement 
of their bills and tails, the whole mass seems to be in perpetual motion. In disposition this 
bird is rather shy than otherwise ; still, with a very little care, numerous successful shots may 
be made with an ordinary fowling-piece. 
“ The sexes, when fully adult, exhibit the same beautiful metallic coloring of the plumagfe. 
The female is, however, smaller, and has the straw-like appendages on the neck less prolonged 
and less stout than in the male. Mature birds only have the whole of the head and back of 
the neck quite bare of feathers.” 
The coloring of the Straw-necked Ibis is very conspicuous, and the lines of demarcation 
between the different tints are sharply drawn. The head and part of the neck are deep 
sooty -black, which suddenly changes into a beautiful white downy plumage, clothing the 
remainder of the neck. From the fore part of the neck and throat hang a number of delicate 
fringe-like feathers. The whole of the upper surface is colored of a deep and glistening green- 
black, “shot” with purple, and changing its tints at every variation of light. Irregular bars 
of the same color as the head are drawn across the back, and the entire under-surface is pure 
white. During the life of this bird the thighs are slightly colored with crimson, but this tinting 
soon vanishes after death. 
Wood Ibis ( Tantalus loculator). This is a bird of considerable size for an Ibis. It 
inhabits the South Atlantic and Gulf States ; ranging north to Ohio, Illinois, and the Carolinas ; 
southward, it reaches Cuba and South America. It is a remarkable and interesting bird. It 
resembles a crane, being nearly four feet in length ; standing higher than that when erect. 
It is pure white, with the tips of wings and the tail black. The adnlt bird has an entirely 
bald head, and an enormously thick, heavy bill, tapering and a little decurved. 
In Florida it is absurdly called the Gannet, a term properly applied to a sea-bird. In 
Colorado it is named Water Turkey. In Florida, on the Upper St. John’s, it is quite common. 
A large breeding-place is known on the borders of Lake Ashley, in Florida. It is estimated 
that a thousand pairs breed there. Dr. Bryant, who visited this place, says: “I almost 
Vol. II.— 71. 
