OCR Text |
Show 496 MR. D. G. ELLIOT ON THE IBIDINSE. [June 5, Von Homeyer, Journ. fiir Ornith. (1870) p. 427; Taczan. Journ. fiir Orn. (1875) pp. 256-8. Nipponia temmincki, Reich. Syn. Av. pl. 141. fig. 538. Nipponia nippon, Bon. Consp. Gen. Av. (1857) ii. p. 152. Ibis (Geronticus) nippon, Radde, Reise im Sud. v. Ost-Sib. (1863) p. 341. Geronticus nippon, Gray, Hand-1. B. (1871) pt. iii. p. 40. sp. 10232. Ibis sinensis, David, Compt. Rend. (1872) p. 64 ; Oust. Bull. Nouv. Archiv. Mus. Paris (1872) p. 129, pl. 6. Hab. Japan ; China, near Shanghai; Ningpo, North Formosa (Swinhoe) ; Siberia (Radde). Swinhoe, who saw this species in Formosa, says that they are not regular in their visits to that island; but he has frequently observed about the end of April some half dozen of these birds on the river-shoals at Tamsuy. They did not seem to breed in Formosa. The birds of the year were a smoke-grey, deep on the head and neck, and nearly white on the wings and underparts. He also met with them at Ningpo, and gives in ** The Ibis' a full account of the species from his observations of it while there. On December 31st, 1872, a pair flew over him; and the male, perched in a lofty pine, kept throwing his head forward and uttering his love-note of now, now in a loud hoarse voice. In April they commenced putting on their dark breeding-feathers. On the 10th of June a live bird of the year, in grey plumage, was brought to him. It was very tame, refused fish, but eat raw beef. The cheeks and over the eye were covered with downy feathers ; but the rest of the face was bare, and orange-yellow in colour instead of red. Irides light yellowish brown ; legs and feet light brown, with a tinge of orange-flesh-colour. It had a full occipital crest, and delighted to expand it. On the 23rd of August he saw large parties of this Ibis on a lake, white birds and dusky ones in company. He visited the same lake again on November 18th, and saw large flocks of these birds ; but then they were all white and rose-coloured, no grey ones among them. The lake-dwellers call them Houg (red) le. A large party of Ibis settled near him in the muddy water, where it was up to their tarsal knees. After remaining still for a few moments they advanced, jerking their bills about in every direction under water. They probably felt their prey, and every thing caught was thrown into the throat by a few nods of the head. Their captures were small fishes, as was ascertained by dissection. When tired or satisfied each one flew to a ridge of earth near by, stretched himself, yawned, preened his feathers a little, and, sinking to the usual contracted position, remained quite still. When approached they sprang at once into the air from their crouching attitude, their wings glowing as if under a rising or setting sun, their bills chattering and uttering a gaw-like murmur, mingled with guttural cries like gok, gok. They fly steadily, the legs stretched out behind, reaching just beyond the tail, the head full forward, the bill and forehead looking black. The Rosy Ibis breeds in company, but often in pairs by themselves, and have eggs in January, |