43 
WHITE IBIS. 
IBIS BLBUS. 
[Plate LXVL— Fig. 3.] 
Le Courly hlanc du Brhxl, Briss. V, p. 339, 10.— Bufp. VIII, p, 41. Courhjhhnc d'AmSrique, 
PL Enl 915,— White Curlew, Catesby, I, pi 82.— Lath. Sijn. Ill, p. Ill, No, 9 Tan- 
talus albus, Ind. Orn. p, 705, No. 9.— Gmel. Syst, I, p, 651, N'o. Q.—Arct, Zool, No, 363. 
THIS species bears in every respect, except that of color, so 
strong a resemblance to the preceding, that I have been almost 
induced to believe it the same, in its white or imperfect stage of 
color. The length and form of the bill, the size, conformation, 
as well as color of the legs, the general length and breadth, and 
even the steel blue on the four outer quill feathers, are exactly alike 
in both. These suggestions, however, are not made with any cer- 
tainty of its being the same ; but as circumstances which may lead 
to a more precise examination of the subject hereafter. 
I found this species pretty numerous on the borders of lake 
Ponchartrain, near New Orleans, in the month of June, and also 
observed the Indians sitting in market with strings of them for 
sale. I met with them again on the low keys or islands off the 
peninsula of Florida, Mr. Bartrara observes that “ they fly in 
large flocks or squadrons, evening and morning, to and fi’om their 
feeding places or roosts, and are usually called Spanish Curlews. 
They feed chiefly on cray fish, whose cells they probe, and with 
their strong pinching bills drag them out.” The low islands 
above mentioned abound with these creatures and small crabs, the 
ground in some places seeming alive with them, so that the rat- 
tling of their shells against one another was incessant. My vene- 
rable friend, in his observations on these birds adds, It is a 
pleasing sight at times of high winds, and heavy thunder storms, 
