41G Grall^. BIRDS.' ScoROPACiD^. 
■with the Sacred Ibis in the veneration of the people ; 
it is seen represented on their monuments, and its 
mummies have been found in the tombs. 
The Glossy Ibis is about two feet in length, and the 
plumage of its upper parts is of a dark-reddish or 
chestnut-brown colour, with beautiful purplish and 
bronzed green tints. The lower surface and neck are 
dark reddish-brown, the bill is purplish-brown, and 
the feet are green. Like many other species of the 
Ibis group it is migratory ; it lives chiefly in swampy 
places by the sides of rivers and lakes, and feeds on 
young frogs, small fishes, insects, worms, and mollusca. 
Family V.— SCOLOPACID^. 
These birds, which are among the smaller species of 
their order, are distinguished by their long, slender, 
and nearly cylindrical bills, which are obtuse at the 
tip and generally somewhat flexible, of a softer texture 
than in most birds, and often covered at the tip with a 
delicate skin, abundantly supplied with nerves, and 
thus forming an admirable tactile organ. The upper 
mandible is a little longer than the lower one and 
usually grooved on each side ; the nostrils, which are 
small, are pierced at the base of the bill in the grooves. 
In the development of the legs the birds of this family 
differ considerably amongst themselves — some having 
the legs longer and more slender in proportion to their 
size than any other birds, whilst others are supported 
upon comparatively short limbs. The anterior toes 
are of moderate length, and frequently connected at 
the base by membranes ; the posterior toe when present 
is small and slightly elevated, but sometimes entirely 
wanting. The wings are well developed, and the birds 
generally possess considerable powers of flight. 
The species of this family, which are exceedingly 
numerous, are all true wading birds, frequenting marshy 
places and the banks of rivers, in the mud and soft 
ground of wliich they seek the worms and insects which 
constitute their chief food. 
THE CURLEW [Numenius arquata) — fig. 130 — a 
common British species, is one of the largest birds in 
this family, the female measuring upwards of two feet 
in length, whilst the male is a few inches less. It is 
Fig. 13a 
The Curlew (Numenius arquata). 
of a brown colour, with the edges of the feathers whitish, 
and the rump white ; the lower surface is white or 
nearly so, with the breast pale brown, and the neck 
and breast streaked with dark brown. The bill, which 
is long and considerably curved downwards, is brown, 
and the naked part of the long slender legs is pale blue. 
During the late autumn and winter the Curlew fre- 
quents the sea-shore, where it finds an abundance of 
small Crustacea, worms, and other marine animals ; 
but at the approach of spring it migrates inland, and 
usually in a northerly direction, to breed upon the 
moors and bills. The nest consists of a few dry leaves 
and similar materials brought together in a tuft of her- 
bage, and in this the eggs, four in number, are laid. 
Thej' are of a pear-shape, and are generally placed 
with the smaller ends together. Our common Curlew 
is generally distributed in all parts of the Old World. 
THE BLACK-TAILED GODWIT {Limosa melanura) 
is a bird of passage in this country, appearing with us 
chiefly in the spring and autumn on its way to and 
from its northern breeding-places, although a few pairs 
remain through the summer and breed in our fens and 
marshes. It is met with throughout the northern half 
of the eastern hemisphere. This bird measures from 
sixteen to seventeen inches in length; it has a long 
bill, very slightly curved upwards. Its plumage varies 
greatly with the seasons ; but it is always distinguish- 
able by its black tail. 
THE COMMON REDSHANK {Tot amis Calidris) is a 
not uncommon British species, and resides in this 
country throughout the year. It is also met with on 
the continent of Europe, in most parts of Asia, and in 
Northern Africa. The female is about eleven inches 
in length. In its winter plumage the upper surface is 
