IBIS, one of the sacred birds of ancient Egypt, Ibis aethiopica. The myth of the Ibis is explained by Renouf in his Hibbert Lec tures. The ibis inhabits the Nile basin from Dongola southward, as well as Kordofan and Sennar. It arrives in Egypt in summer, disappearing again as the Nile subsides. It is somewhat larger than a curlew, with a much stouter beak and legs. The plumage is black and white, the bare head and neck being black. The bill and feet are black. The birds nest in colonies in trees or bushes ; two to four white eggs spotted with reddish-brown are laid. The young are hatched in August.
Numerous other species occur in the tropics and subtropics throughout the world. These in clude Eudocimus ruber, the scar let ibis of America (usually sub stituted for I. aethiopica by artists) ; and the glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) with an enormous range, including all five continents. The Ibididae are re lated to the spoonbills (Platalei dae) and storks (Ciconiidae).