White Ibis, Tantalus albus, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 43. pl. 66. fig. 3.—Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 86.
Ibis alba, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 312.
Adult Male. Plate CCXXII. Fig. 1.
Bill very long, slender, deeper than broad, compressed, tapering, arcuate, obtuse at the tip. Upper mandible with the dorsal line arched in its whole length, the ridge convex, broader towards the end, the sides at the base nearly erect, towards the end very convex and narrow, the ridge separated in its whole length from the sides by a deep narrow groove, the edges inflected and sharp. Nostrils basal, dorsal, linear, direct. Lower mandible nearly equal to upper, its angle very narrow, and protracted in the form of a groove to the tip, the sides convex, the edges sharp, but strong.
Head small, compressed; neck long and slender; body slender, deeper than broad; wings rather large. Feet very long, slender; tibiæ long, bare about half their length, and covered all round with hexagonal scales; tarsi long, slender, anteriorly covered with numerous broad scutella, the rest with hexagonal scales; toes slender, the first much smaller, the third longest, the fourth considerably shorter, the second very little shorter than the fourth, all covered above with numerous scutella, laterally with angular scales, beneath flattened with thick soft margins; the anterior connected at the base by membranes, of which the outer is longer; claws small, arched, compressed, obtuse, the middle one with a sharp thin edge.
Head and throat bare to beyond the eyes, as are the tibiæ nearly half way up. Plumage in general soft, unglossed, the feathers rather blended, those of the head and neck narrow and more blended. Wings long, ample, some of the secondaries as long as the longest primary when the wings are closed; third quill longest, but second and fourth almost as long, first longer than fifth; secondaries broad and rounded. Tail short, slightly emarginate and rounded, of twelve rounded feathers.
Bare parts of the head light orange-red; bill the same, but towards the tip dusky. Iris of a fine pearly blue. Legs and toes paler than the bill; claws dusky, tipped with horn colour. Plumage pure white, excepting the ends of from three to five of the outer primaries, which are deep black, with blue and green reflexions.
Length to end of tail 24 1/2 inches, to end of wings 27, to end of claws 31 1/2; extent of wings 40; wing from flexure 12 1/2; tail 4 3/4; bill along the back 5 1/4, along the edge 5 3/4; bare space of tibia 1 3/4, tarsus 3 1/4, middle toe 2 1/8, its claw 3/8. Weight 2 lb.
The adults vary considerably in size, and remarkably in the length of the bill. The extent of the bare space on the head varies according to age. In the breeding season the bill and legs are bright carmine; during the rest of the year paler.
Young bird killed in September. Plate CCXXII. Fig. 2.