the Islands of Java and the ^Celebes.; is periodically known during
seven months in Egypt, coming in. October and disappearing in
March : ft Is later In'coming, and disappears after, and in quite a
diffèrent direction from the white saereff kind : like ; this they
follow thé overflowing of the Nile, retiring gradually as the
Water becomes too deep. It is very common about the Black,
and especially the Caspian Seas, the great rendezvomyind breeding
place of Waders, where appeats to be their chief quarters,
and whexïèe they- spread into Siberia and TSp-tary. Great numbers
are also met'with in the Ural Desert. The Arab’s in Egypt kill
the Glossy Ibis by shooting them, and catch many in nets, so
that in aatuSii«!,?thcfakrkets of the cities of Lower Egypt, that of
DaiMtel^ especiaMy^arg; abundantly furnished with Ibises?of this
§pêcies, a i well aâ * the White/now nb longer sacred, which are
exposed*- for sale with the heads cut off. When taken alive* these
birds appear really very low spirited, and reject food they-stand
upright, the body horizontal, the neck much bent, the !head
in^ined, moving it from right to Mft/advancihgfbr withdrawing
ity and striking the ground with the point of their bill. They
often stand on one leg like the Stork : are Jby no means shy, and
will open their bill to defend themselves ||1 ypul&tretch out your
hand, but their bite iSi scarcely felt.
It should be mentioned, that although tfiis is"me Black Ibis of
antiquity; it is .’?Bgp no means that of systematical writers, which
they describe, as réally black, with a red bill and feet. Such a
species is very seldom if evpr seen in Egypt.
PECTORAL SANDPIPER,
ft TRING A PRCTÖRALIS. ■
CM Plate XXIII. Fig., %
Pelidna peel oralis, Say, ih\Long’.s Exp. I, p. 17-1, ■ g
Tringapectoralis, N ob. Cat. Birds U. S. Id. Synops. sp. 250. Id. Speech, comp.
Tringa campestris? L ich t , Caf.ïl, Vogel, p, 74,*spi(764,'
Tringa rindus dominieensis f , B riss. j! v . V, p. '219, sp. R pL 24, fig. 1.
Chorlito a cou brun ^ A zaha, IV; §. ^É^-spi’ 4Ö4.
Mouetle de mer de St. Domingue, B riss. tóe. cit.
Philadelphia Museum.
T his humble.-{species> well marked,. though closely allied to
several Other Sandpipers, is, as welbfas I can judge,’ accurately
described and{figured by Brisson; but since. theh unnoticed even
by compilers; his description, become ohsolète*: when Say
found the bird in the western territory,, and we. replaced it in the
records ofthnsciqncp. We have since shot it, repeatedly on the
shores of New Jersey) where it is common; Thé species t appears
to : be spread throughout the States, extending farther; into the
interior than most, of its family ; beyondthe Mississippi it is very
common; manynflocks of them were seen by Major Long’s party
both in the* spring and autumn at Engineer Cantonment, and it
is often met with in small parties- ©n the coasts o f the1- middle
states in the latter part of autumn. It also inhabits the West
Indies-, and, if we are corréct in our «reference to Azara, is found
in Brazil and Montevideo.
- 'Unlike other Sandpipers, this is not addicted to bare sandy
places, but on the contrary is fond of damp, meadows, where it
shows some of the habits of the Snipe. < Solitary individuals are