496 BIRDS-—TANTALID A. 
Dr. Hoy had recorded it from the vicinity of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I 
have been unable to verify Dr. Coues’ statement as to its occurrence in 
Ohio at or before the date of his writing, and consequently omitted it 
from my List of 1875, though the probability of its occurrence began to 
approach a certainty. In 1878, Mr. Langdon added this bird to his List 
of Birds of the vicinity of Cincinnati on the authority of Dr. Haymond, 
who says (Indiana Geolog. Sury., 1869) : 
‘“‘These large and curious birds occasionally visit the Whitewater Valley in the 
month of August. Some years ago, I kept one (which had a broken wing) about six’ 
weeks. In that time it became very tame, learned its name and would come when 
called. 
We fed it upon living fish, which it would swallow with amazing rapidity, except 
catfish, which required labor and time to dispose of It died from having eaten a 
Mackerel which had been placed in a basin to soak.” 
This is satisfactory in showing that this species occurs very near to 
our borders. Mr. Langdon, further writes me under date of February 23, 
1879: 
“Tf Tam not very much mistaken, I have at last cleared up the much-agitated 
‘‘ Wood Ibis question,” and 1 herewith proceed to give you the results of my investiga- 
‘tions and also to answer your letter of the 17th, inst. 
In looking over the Indiana Index to Coues’ Bibliography, I found two references to 
Haymond, as you will see, and, as I had never before heard of but one (1869), I at once’ 
proceeded to look up the vther, which was as follows: ‘ Birds of South-eastern Indiana, 
by Rufus Haymond, M.D., Proc. Phil. Acad., viii, November, 1856.’ About 135 specimens 
are given and among them the Wood Ibis, from his account of which I make the follow- 
ing extract verbatim, which you will observe differs somewhat, though not essentially, 
from his account of the same specimen ia the Indiana Agricultural Report, 1869. The 
main difference is, that in his L856 List, he mentions specifically and definitely the visit 
of a flock of the birds to South-eastern Indiana. 
You will remember that the Whitewater River, where the birds were found, is 
not far from the Ohio line (perhaps 12 or 15 miles), also that the Whitewater after flow- 
ing less than 20 miles from Brookville, Indiana, enters Ohio, and after traversing its 
South-western corner for several miles if joins the Great Miami within the State of 
@hio. Now Haymond’s account speaks of them as remaining along the river (White- 
water) and canal for some weeks and although he does not say Ohio once, yet there is 
abundant room for the inference that the birds reached Ohio in following the White- 
water. Hore is the copy of Haymond’s record : 
‘The first day of August, 1855, a large flock of these birds made their appearance in 
this neighborhood. They remained along the river and Whitewater canal for about a 
month or six weeks. A son of one my neighbors broke the wing of one them and caught 
it. After keeping it three or four weeks, feeding it upon fish, he gave it tome. I kept 
it until near the first of November when it fell a victim, as many another biped has 
done, to its appetite.” 
Here follows the account of its eating a mackerel, and dying in con- 
vulsions the next day; also, the statement that it learned its name, 
Tantalus, and would come when called if it was hungry, etc. 
