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Show 1877.] MR. D. G. ELLIOT ON THE IBIDINSE. 501 Hab. Africa, Gambia, Old Calabar (Jardi) ; Mossambique (Peters). Mr. Ayres states that the Caffer Ibis go in families of from four to twelve individuals. They frequent the dense bush when feeding, and are usually very wary. They feed on beetles and other insects, hunting for them in old gardens and other localities where these are most abundant. Their notes are loud and harsh, and in still weather can be heard for a considerable distance. They generally roost in high trees overhanging the water; and the nest, which is built of coarse sticks and lined with fine grass, is placed upon a bough. It is made just large enough to keep the eggs from rolling out. In the colony of Natal these birds are becoming very scarce, as when properly cooked their flesh is very good, and great numbers are killed. Dr. A. Brehm, who met with this species in Sennaar, gives the following account of it in the ' Journal fiir Ornithologie,' 1858, p. 330 : - " Towards evening he begins to think of his night quarters, which are single trees close to the river, or standing on islands. Here he meets his sacred cousin the 'Insatiable' (Tantalus ibis), the Marabu, the Spoonbill, one or other of the Pelicans, and similar company, frequently also a troop of monkeys, with whom he vies in roaring till a late hour of the night. A monkey will sometimes amuse himself by trying to catch the Ibis by his tuft, or by otherwise annoying him ; then, indeed, he can be heard to roar ! H e rises, shrieks as if he were spitted, circles round the tree several times, and again sweeps back to his place, when the monkey is perhaps mischievous enough once more to disturb his bedfellow, and the old row begins afresh, although the patriarch of the monkey-herd has several times, with his deep gurgling tones, admonished the offenders to keep the peace." As this species does not apparently agree with any of the other genera, I have retained for it Bonaparte's term Hagedashia ; and since the name chalcoptera was bestowed upon the species by Vieillot in 1817, that will of necessity become the specific title to be employed. Top of head, neck, and entire underparts very light brown, feathers edged with white ; cheeks and throat dark greyish brown, with a white line beneath and behind the brown on the cheeks, and a naked space upon the lower margin of mandible; upper parts and scapulars yellowish bronzy green ; wings pale metallic green, changing to a rose-colour in certain lights ; secondaries dark blue; tertials deep blue, their outer webs yellowish bronze, forming a bar beneath the light green across the wings when closed ; primaries dark purple-brown; bill black, ridge towards the base crimson ; legs and feet dull red. Total length 26 inches; wing 15, tail 6%, bill aloug culmen 4-f, tarsus 2|. 16. BOSTRYCHIA CARUNCULATA. Ibis carunculatus, Riipp. Faun. Abyss, t. xix. (1835); Heugl, Ornith. Nordost-Afr. (1873) Band ii. Abth. 1, p. 1139. |