io6 
Allen’s naturalist’s library. 
angle from the body, and complete the curved line of the beak 
and e.xtended neck. The flight is more rapid than that of 
either of these birds, and is performed by quicker beats of the 
wings, and every now and then it skims along with outspread 
pinions._ The Ibis is very gregarivous, and solitary birds or 
even pairs are seldom seen. Half a dozen or more birds fly 
in company and keep together in a wedge or string, like 
Cranes or Geese. On the ground the Ibis walks sedately, like 
a Heron. It is a very silent bird, but, when alarmed, it is said 
to utter a harsh croak like that of a Heron. Its food consists 
of worms, Crustacea, small shells, aquatic in.sects, and frogs, 
for which it may often be seen searching on the low-lying coasts 
and on the shores of lakes and rivers, walking about something 
like a Curlew.” 
Nest — Again I quote Mr. Seebohm : — “The Ibis builds in 
willows which are half under water, and makes its nest at 
various heights from the surface in the same trees as Common 
Herons, Night-Herons, Squacco Heron.s, Little Egrets, and 
Pigmy Cormorants. Sometimes one tree will contain nests of 
all the six species. The Great Cormorant and the Spoon-bill 
are not so sociable ; they each occupy a part of the forest re- 
served for themselves, but in the immediate neighbourhood, 
sometimes surrounded by the nests of the other species — a 
colony within a colony. The nests are made of sticks and 
reeds.” 
Eggs. — Three or four in number ; pitted and of a dark green- 
ish-blue — a beautiful egg. Axis, rg-a'a; diam., i'3-i'5. 
THE SPOON-BILLS. FAMILY PLATALEID.T:. 
The members of this Family arc easily distinguished by 
possessing, in addition to the osteological characters of the 
Ibises, a very curious development of the bill, which is long, 
flat, narrowed in the middle, and then widened out into a 
spoon-shaped, or spatulate, end. The Spoon-bills are found 
nearly over the entire globe, and there are three genera which 
are clearly recognisable. In the genera Piatalea and Platibis, 
the head is only partially bare and the orifice of the ear is 
