36- 
plumage on the upper parts dusky black, glossed with green 
and purple. Wings and tail the same. The whole under parts 
much duller, with scarcely any bronze. Thighs rather paler, 
half way naked. Legs and feet long. Claws much crooked, 
the inside of the middle one pectinated. Legs, feet, and 
claws of a dingey black or horn colour. 
“ This Ibis was shot, September 28, 1 793, while skimming 
with another over the river Thames, between Henley and 
Reading, and w'as supposed to be a bittern. I found nothing 
in his stomach but undigested plants. He had many pedi- 
cnli, and a vast number of other small insects about him, 
which I sent to my learned friend and patron T. Marsham, 
Esq., Tr. L. S.” 
That this bird was held in the highest estimation 
amongst the antient Egyptians, is clearly demonstrated by 
the following account given of him by one of their kings : 
KapSlav fiov\o[Mvoi ypafsiv, T Ifiy g’c vypoupouft, to yap gwov 
Epp.? texaWai, xapbla; y.a't koyirpoo htrrory, Itth xa) rj 
auro xaA' avro rij xapSla. early ippepyf repi oil kiyo; ear) 
it\z 7 <rro; rap' Ai yvrriois <pspoy.eyO{. 
flpov ’AroWwvos N siAtvou 'lspoy\i<pixa. Ed. Par. 1551. 
“ When they wish to sighify the heart they draw an Ibis j 
for that animal is dedicated to Mercury, the sovereign of 
every heart and thought ; also because the Ibis of itself* is 
very like the heart: about which much is said among the 
Egyptians.” 
We consider this as one of the same genus with the fa- 
mous bird which the Egyptians worshipped, but not the 
identical species, about which there is so much dispute. 
1 his one is rather smaller than those preserved among the 
mummies. We are doubtful whether it is the same bird 
that Latham describes] for he says “ pedibus caeruleis, alis 
caudaque violaceis,” in his Specific Character. Lath. Ind. 
Orn. 2. 707. 
* Or perhaps folded up into itself, that is, with its head under its wing, in 
which posture iElian says that it resembles a heart, R.T. 
