SCARLET IBIS. 
63 
plumage on the upper ridge of the neck, generally worn, as in 
the presented specimen, with rubbing on the back, while in 
its common position, of resting its bill on its breast, in the 
manner of the white ibis. (See fig. 3.) 
The female has only the head and chin naked ; both are sub - 
ject to considerable changes of colour when young, the body 
being found sometimes blackish above, the belly cinereous, 
and spots of black on the wing-coverts ; all of which, as the 
birds advance in age, gradually disappear, and leave the plu- 
mage of the body, &c. as has been described. 
SCARLET IBIS TANTALUS RUBER Plate LXVI. Fig. 2. 
Le Courly rouge du Bresil, Sriss. v. p. 344. PL 29. fig. 2 — Red Gurlew, Cateshy^ 
i, 84. — Arct. Zool. No. 366, 382. — Peak's Museum^ No. 3864 ; female, 3868. 
IBIS RUBRA.— ViEiLLOT. 
Ibis rubra, Vieill. — Bonap. Synop. p. 311. — Wagl. Syst. Av.l!^o. 4. — Ibis ruber, 
Wils. III. of Zool. i. PL 7. and 36. in tLe plum, of second and first years — Ris 
rouge. Less. Man. d' Ornitli. ii. p. 254. 
This beautiful bird is found in the most southern parts of 
Carolina, also in Georgia and Florida, chiefly about the sea- 
shore and its vicinity. In most parts of America, within the 
tropics, and in almost all the West India islands, it is said to 
be common ; also in the Bahamas. Of its manners, little more 
has been collected, than that it frequents the borders of the 
sea, and shores of the neighbouring rivers, feeding on small 
fry, shell-fish, sea worms, and small crabs. It is said frequently 
to perch on trees, sometimes in large flocks ; but to lay its 
eggs on the ground, on a bed of leaves. The eggs are de- 
scribed as being of a greenish colour ; the young, when hatch- 
ed, black ; soon after, grey ; and before they are able to fly, 
white ; continuing gradually to assume their red colour until 
the third year, when the scarlet plumage is complete. It is 
also said that they usually keep in flocks, the young and old 
birds separately. They have frequently been domesticated. 
