distancés. The habit of.resting upon,tFées, las indeed the whole
animal economy ;(a; thing never sufficiently considered in the
formation of natural families,)" of the Ibis separate them from the
ScoloMfâidæ. They are monogamous ; build on high trees, both
senesW^Bting,!» the construction of the nest : the. female,; lays
two ór three wM&h eggs, which she alon6|in©ubates, hpt fe then
fed by the ffiale, and both feed the young, which réquire for a
long period the hSFe of the paibnts, and d o h o t leave .-the heat till
abiè to, flutter; They walk slowly, hften sinking deeply in the
mud while watching for prey :• their gait is measured, and they,
never run rapidly* .Their flight is heavy; but high and protracted:
Their voice1 is; feud and monotonous. In domfs|icity', like many
other -birds, they become omnivorous; As to anatomical conformation,
the Ibises resemble the genera of Scohpacidæ: %
thick muscular stomach occupies nearly two-thirds qf the anterior
capacity of the abdomen : the swelling of the-oesophagus at its
origin is considerable andivery glandulous: the intestines form
an elliptic mass, composed of a double spiral, besides first a turn
bordering .the gizzard ; they measure Upwaràs^SÏ tfeeee. feeJÉifi
length in the species we treat of. There are two -ra th e rj|hK t
and obtuse cæcums.
The Bay . or 4lipssy Tbfe is twenty-six inches in lepgth; rod
more than three" feet in extent. TThe M l is' of a greenish lead
colour, somewhat reddish at tip, and varies much ini lengthy in
different specimens,—the longest we have measured was five and
a half inches from.the comers of the mouth : in many it is but
four, inches : it is.slender, thicker at base, .and higher than broad,
rather compressed and obtusely rounded at tip, and less arcuated
bhan in the. other North American species ; the upper mandible
is somewhat longer than the lower, thickened and subangulated at
base, and flattened at its origin : two deOJ> furrows run from the
nostrils tj^fcheextremity, dividing it into three portions; the edges
of both mandibles' sire quite» entire,-and being bent in, they"« form
together when closed, another deèp channel : 'theuppermattdibfa
isfilied Ihsidfe tó a' great extent with; the bony substance o'f thë
bill, so as to* be hardlyèoneave. Tbc. under maudible" fellows
exactly théiotf^ve" of. the;upper, and iisybut balf as1:h a g l^ d tl# '
sides; it is strongly eanalioulated bclow fromitbe baise t® tip ;
the channel from the tip to the middle is narrow* but* then widens
considerably, and isi^tremely' Wide at bas©;f%fcgrfe it is fille d h§S
a naked membi5afeb.feWmiii% a kind of jmgul&rpowéli.: -jThertestrils
are placed near the base oP thc mandible," at the «%fe'?df tie
lateral furrows, and are oblong, narrow, ltiö^itji#wd#ferfcished
ih fhe uóper paM with a naked membrane; <®h© tongue i#
sagittate and lölpthan threeifourths of ail inch feomdfhtó’aeutC
point of its lateral lbBe to its tip: the jugular poueh?és-dusky' ;lbe
small naked part of-th© fece,- the lora and region aroundthe eyes
are of a greenish gray, which passes «into whitish| on the limits
of the'feathers : the iridos are dgrk brown: ThCerownof the
head and cheeks'are of a brownish black with purplish reflections;
the throat immediately below the poueh is of . the same ©oloUrs
though somewhat less brilliant, and with more green reflections ;
the feathers of> the head are pointeid* those of the cKiei'put being
moreover suberectile : the whole base of. the plumage is of a pal©
safety gray: The feathers of the back'and wi%-epvirts; feriifedm-
pact and rounded; those of the Inferior parts are rather loose
in texture at their margins: hind head, neck, upper portion of thref
back, ilmer wing-coverts to the shOuldeF Ofnhe Vri-ng, and mil "tk#
internal p&rts of the body, tdgèther with the thighs, of a vivid
brownish'chesnut* very‘brilliant and purplish On the interscapular
region : lower portion of the back, rümp, vent, tail and* wings
ehtirqlYs. including the upper and .fewer coverts and the léogi
axillary feathers, glossy golden green, with purple reflections,
except the primaries; which are pure golden green. The wings
vol. iv .— k •