land of their winter residence, and the Ibises had all departed for the
Florida coasts, excepting a few of the white species, one of which we at
length espied. It was perched about fifty yards from us towards the
centre of the pool, and as the report of one of our guns echoed among the
tall cypresses, down to the water, broken-winged, it fell. The exertions
which it made to reach the shore seemed to awaken the half-torpid alligators
that lay in the deep mud at the bottom of the pool. One shewed
his head above the water, then a second and a third. All gave chase to
the poor wounded bird, which, on seeing its dreaded and deadly foes,
made double speed towards the very spot where we stood. I was surprised
to see how much faster the bird swam than the reptiles, who, with
jaws widely opened, urged their heavy bodies through the water. The
Ibis was now within a few yards of us. It was the alligator's last chance.
Springing forward as it were, he raised his body almost out of the water;
his jaws nearly touched the terrified bird; when pulling three triggers at
once, we lodged the contents of our guns in the throat of the monster.
Thrashing furiously with his tail, and rolling his body in agony, the alligator
at last sunk to the mud ; and the Ibis, as if in gratitude, walked to
our very feet, and there lying down, surrendered itself to us. I kept this
bird until the succeeding spring, and by care and good nursing, had the
pleasure of seeing its broken wing perfectly mended, when, after its long
captivity, I restored it to liberty, in the midst of its loved swamps and
woods.
The young bird of tins species which I kept alive for some time, fed
freely, after a few days captivity, on soaked Indian corn meal, but evinced
great pleasure when cray-fishes were offered to it. On seizing one, it beat
it sideways on the ground, until the claws and legs were broken off, after
which it swallowed the body whole. It was fond of lying on its side in
the sun for an hour or so at a time, pluming its body and nursing the
sore wing. It walked lightly and very gracefully, though not so much
so as the Herons. It did not molest its companions, and became very
gentle and tame, following those who fed it like a common fowl.
The Creoles of Louisiana call this species " Bee croche" and also
" Petit Flamcm? although it is also generally known by the name of
" Spanish Curlew.1' The flesh, which, as well as the skin, is of a dull
orange colour, is extremely fishy, although the birds are often sold in
our southernmost markets, and are frequently eaten by the Indians.
The White Ibis has been shot eastward as far as New Jersey Of
this I have been made aware by my generous friend EDWARD HARRIS,
Esq. I never saw one farther up the Mississippi than Memphis.
TANTALUS ALBUS, Linn. Syst Nat. vol. i. p. 242—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 705.
WHITE IBIS, TANTALUS ALBUS, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 43. pi. 66. fig. 3.—
Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 86.
IBIS ALBA, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 312.
Adult Male. Plate CCXXII. Fig. 1.
Bill very long, slender, deeper than broad, compressed, tapering, arcuate,
obtuse at the tip. Upper mandible with the dorsal line arched in
its whole length, the ridge convex, broader towards the end, the sides at
the base nearly erect, towards the end very convex and narrow, the ridge
separated in its whole length from the sides by a deep narrow groove, the
edges inflected and sharp. Nostrils basal, dorsal, linear, direct. Lower
mandible nearly equal to upper, its angle very narrow, and protracted in
the form of a groove to the tip, the sides convex, the edges sharp, but
strong.
Head small, compressed ; neck long and slender ; body slender, deeper
than broad; wings rather large. Feet very long, slender; tibiae long,
bare about half their length, and covered all round with hexagonal scales;
tarsi long, slender, anteriorly covered with numerous broad scutella, the
rest with hexagonal scales; toes slender, the first much smaller, the third
longest, the fourth considerably shorter, the second very little shorter than
the fourth, all covered above with numerous scutella, laterally with angular
scales, beneath flattened with thick soft margins; the anterior
connected at the base by membranes, of which the outer is longer;
claws small, arched, compressed, obtuse, the middle one with a sharp thin
edge.
Head and throat bare to beyond the eyes, as are the tibia.1 nearly half
way up. Plumage in general soft, unglossed, the feathers rather blended,
those of the head and neck narrow and more blended. Wings long,
ample, some of the secondaries as long as the longest primary when the
wings are closed; third quill longest, but second and fourth almost as
long, first longer than fifth ; secondaries broad and rounded. Tail short,
slightly emarginate and rounded, of twelve rounded feathers.
Bare parts of the head light orange-red; bill the same, but towards
the tip dusky. Iris of a fine pearly blue. Legs and toes paler than the
M 2