104 
ALLICn's NA’IirRAUSl’s LIBRARY. 
by a very moderate crest, and a somewhat short tail, beyond 
which the feet extend, when at full length, while the toes are 
strong, with sharp and pointed claws, that of the middle toe 
being nearly straight. 
Three species of Glossy Ibis are known, P. falcinellus, found 
nearly over the whole of the Old AVorld, P. giiarauna, mostly 
a South American species, which extends to the Southern 
United States, and P. ridgivayi of Peru and Bolivia. 
I. THE GLOSSY IBIS. PLEGADIS F.ALCINEI.LUS. 
Tantalus falcinellus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 241 (1766). 
Jbis falcinellus, Macg. Br. B. iv. p. 493 (1852); Seebohm, Br. 
B. ii. p. 520 (1884). 
Plegadis falcinellus, Dresser, B. Eur. vi. p. 335, pi. 409 (187S); 
B. O. U. List Br. B. p. 113 (1883); Saunders, ed. Yarr. 
Br. B. iv. p. 231 (1884) ; id. Man. Br. B. p. 379 (iSSq) ; 
Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B. part xxvii. (1893); Sharjre, Cat. 
B. Brit. Mus. xxvi. p. 29. 
(riau Lxxr.) 
Adult Male. — General colour above black, wdth glossy rejec- 
tions of various shades of green or bronzy-purple ; upper 
mantle deep maroon-chestnut, as also the lesser wing-coverts 
and scapulars, the latter having bronzy tips ; median and 
greater coverts duller and more oily-green, with bronze or 
steel-green reflections ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and 
quids entirely glossy green, the secondaries with purplish 
reflections ; lower back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail 
black, with varying reflections of purple and oily- or bronzy- 
green ; head and neck all round, as well as the under surface 
of the body, deep maroon-chestnut, somewhat lighter on the 
chest and breast ; forehead and fore-part of crown glos.sy 
green, as also the base of the cheeks and a slight shade below 
the eye ; under tail-coverts and under wing-coverts and axil- 
laries black, with metallic reflections of green and purple, the 
quill-lining similarly glossed • bill and feet dark brownish- 
olive ; iris brown. Total length, 22 inches ; culmen, 5-2 ; wing, 
ii'2; tail, 3'9 ; tarsus, 4^2. 
Adult Female. — Similar to the male, but a little smaller, and 
with a shorter bill, 
