56 
IBIS RUBRA* 
GENUS XLVII. — IBIS, Lacep. 
213 . IBIS RUBRA, VIEILL. TANTALUS BUBER, WILSON. 
SCARLET IBIS. 
WILSON, PLATE LXVI. FIG. II. — EDINBURGH COLLEGE MUSEUM. 
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 described as being of a greenish colour ; the young, 
when hatched, black ; soon after, gray ; 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. 
The scarlet ibis measures twenty -three inches in 
length, and thirty-seven in extent ; the bill is five inches 
long, thick, and somewhat of a square form at the base, 
gradually bent downwards, and sharply ridged, of a 
black colour, except near the base, where it inclines to 
i*ed; irides, dark hazel; the naked face is finely wrinkled, 
and of a pale red ; chin, also bare and wrinkled for 
about an inch ; whole plumage, a rich glowing scarlet, 
except about three inches of the extremities of the 
four outer quill feathers, which are of a deep steel blue ; 
legs and naked part of the thighs, pale red, the three 
anterior toes united by a membrane as far as the first 
joint. 
Whether the female differs, in the colour of her 
