FALCINELLUS IGNEUS.
Glossy Ibis.

Tantalus Falcinellus, Linn., vol. i. p. 241.—Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. ii. p. 707.—Gmel. Linn., vol. i. p. 648.—Penn.
Brit. Zool., vol. 1. p. 30.

Ibis Falcinellus, Flem. Brit. Anim., p. 102.—Selby, Brit. Orn., vol. i. p. 56.—Jenyns, Brit. Vert., p. 194.—Gould,
Birds of Europe, vol. iv—Temm. Man. d’Orn., tom. i. p. 598.—Yarrell, Brit. Birds, vol. ii. p. 505.

Tantalus igneus, Gmel. Linn., vol. i. p. 649.—Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. ii. p. 708.—Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. ix. p. 154.

Falcinellus igneus, G. R. Gray, Gen. of Birds, 2nd edit., p. 87.

 

Tue present species is one of the few birds inhabiting both hemispheres ; I believe that I have seen speci-
mens from nearly every country of the Old World, and it has also been found in every part of the vast con-
tinent of Australia at present known to us. I have observed examples in the collection formed by Mr.
Bynoe on the north coast, others in the collections lately transmitted to this country by the Governor of
South Australia, and I possess others obtained in New South Wales. A careful comparison of all these
specimens with others killed in Europe has satisfied me that they are identical. I never observed if im a
state of nature myself, and from what I could learn from the colonists, its presence must be regarded as acci-
dental; it is not a stationary species, nor are its migratory movements characterized by any degree of
regularity.

Head dark chestnut; neck, breast, top of the back, upper edge of the wing and all the under surface
rich reddish chestnut ; lower part of the back, rump, quill- and tail-feathers of a dark green, with bronze and
purple reflexions ; orbits olive-green ; irides brown; bill, legs and feet dull olive-brown.

As considerable difference exists between youth and maturity, I have figured the bird in both states of

plumage, rather more than two-thirds of the natural size.