C FR O N T reus s p i n i c o l l i s .
SUaw-necked Ibis.
N e w H o lla n d Ibis, Lath. of Birds, vol. ixi, p. 167
Ibis spinicollis, Jameson, Edinb. Phil. p. 213.—Jard. and Selb. 111. Ora., vol. iv. pi. xvii.
Ibis UipellicolUg, LaPres. Mag. et 5me, pi. 57.
T h is beautiful Ibis has never yet been discovered outxof':!^ustr^ia. over the whole of which immense
40ouhtr-^it- im probably distributed, as it is more abundant,,iufGertawro^a]il4j|s at one season than at another;
its presence in fact appears to, depend upon whether the se^ ra^ feo r be not favourable to increase o f the
lo^ervanimaJst upon which the vast hordes of this bird feed. After the severe drought of 1839 it was in
such abundance on the;Liverpool Plains, and^^phos,e;.of the Lower Narnoi, that to compute the number in
a*single flockuwas impossible^ * It was also very numerous J)jn the sea side of the great Liverpool range,
inhabitlng -thc^^^'ldbwQ and flats, particularly' spfeh^as were studded with shallow lagoons, through which
It vKOJuld knee-high in search, o f shelled mollusks, frogs, newts and insects: independently of the
food I have mentioned, it feeds on grasshoppers, and insects generally. T h e natives informed me that
sometimes many seasons elapse with out >^g^bj_rd« being seen. Where then doesitVgo ? T o what country
does it pass ? D oes there not exist a vast oasis in the centre of Australia,' toTwhich the bird migrates when
ftJrfl not found in the located parts o f the country ? We may reasonably suppose such to be the case.
The Straw-necked ®le surface o f the ground in a very stately manner; it perches readily
on trees, a n d its f lig h t is, b o t h sibspil&E and striking, particularly when large flocks are passing over the
plains, at one- moment shdv^ing^eir white breasts, and at the next, by a c h a n g e in ^ i r position, exhibiting
their darkrcoloured backs and snow-white During the large, semicircular sweeps they take over the
plains, and when performing a lo n g flig h t, th e y rise tolerably high in the air j the whole-flock then arrange
themselves in the t e n t o f a figure or letter similar to that so frequently observed in flights o f geese and
duel^s,
T& e n o t & i s ibjnl» hoarse, croaking at a consideralilfed^’^ ^ c - When feeding
in flocks they are closely packed, and from ttp^onsthtat movement of thegy|fl|8^^^ails^the whole mass
seems in perpetual motion. I n d i s p o s i t i o n r a t h e r - s h y than otherwise; a very little
care, numerous successful shots may he made with an ordinary fowling-piece.
The sexes when^|jiy adult exhihi^the same b^Utiful metallic colouring o f the plumage. The female is
however smaller, and has the sfraw-I|ke appendages on 'the neck less prolonged- and less stout than in the
male. Mature birds only ha\e the! whole of the head and back of the neck quite bare of feathers.
Head and forepart of the neck naked, and, of a d u ll k k y black; b a c k andsides-pf the neck clothed with
■white- § 8 the fro n ta l the neck and b r e a s t s h a f t s of tbe feathers are produced jntq long lanceolate
straw-like and straw-coloured processes, with merely a rudiment of the lateral webs at the base; sides and
b ^ k o f th e neck,* breast a n d alljthe upper surface, rich shining bronzy igeggag&purple, crossed, particularly
on the wing-coverts, scapularies and outer webs o f the secondaries, p | l numerous bars of dull blaek;
primaries and inner webs o f the secondaries’ dull greenish blacky abdomen, flanks, under.tail-coverts and
t i l . w h ll^ S ill. dull blacky grossed at the base by, irregular. transverse bars of yellowish brown;; irides
dark b row jf j thighs crimson; legs blacklsh brown,- the two ep^urs blending on the knee.
Immature birds have the head andr ngck clothed: m w fife d ^ u |||» e straw-like appendages less in
number, and less of the{rich colouring QUxthe breast.
The Plate represents an adult and immature Mrd, about two-thirds of-the natural size.