IBIS, a familiar name applied to species of birds of the tribe Cultirostres ; the Pelican Ibis is Tantalus leucocephalus, extremely common throughout India, Ceylon, and Burma. The Shell Ibis is the Anastoma oscitans, Boddacrt, very abundant in the lake and river districts. The Ibisinm or true ibis, of Which three species occur in India, and are there called curlews, from which, however, they differ in breeding on trees, and feeding their young till full grown.
The White Ibis is the Threskiornis melano cephalus, Linn. and is found throughout India ; the Warty Black Ibis, Geronticus papillosus, Temm., also of all India, feeds chiefly on dry land; and the Glossy Ibis, the Falcinellus igneus, Gmelin, occurs in vast numbers in India in the cold weather. It occurs throughout the whole world, and is very common in India. It is called in Tamil, Arroova mooken, literally sickle-nosed, from its long curved beak. The nest contains from three
to five eggs, which resemble in size and shape a medium-sized hen's egg, but are of a dirty-white colour. The birds are white, with black head, feet, and neck, and have a long curved black bill. The head and neck are naked, and the tail-feathers of rather a rusty-brown colour ; the lower sides of the wings, from the axillm to the extremities, are naked, and the skin in the old birds is of a deep scarlet colour ; in the young this is absent, although the part is naked. The young are fully fledged in March, and take to the wing in April.
The Sacred Ibis, Ibis religiosa, had great honours paid to it by the ancient Egyptians. It extends across the whole African continent in the same latitude, and is found on the west coast also.--Jerd.