File:The birds of America - from drawings made in the United States and their territories (1840) (14565092379).jpg

Identifier: birdsofamericafr06audu (find matches)
Title: The birds of America : from drawings made in the United States and their territories
Year: 1840 (1840s)
Authors: Audubon, John James, 1785-1851 Bowen, John T., ca. 1801-1856?, lithographer
Subjects: Birds Birds
Publisher: New York : Published by J.J. Audubon Philadelphia : J.B. Chevalier
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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to their constitutions. In treating of the bird now under your notice, Mr. William Bartramsays, This solitary bird does not associate in flocks, but is generally seenalone. This was published by Wilson, and every individual who hassince written on the subject, has copied the assertion without probablyhaving any other reason than that he believed the authors of it to state afact. But the habits of this species are entirely at variance with the abovequotation, to which I direct your attention not without a feeling of pain,being assured that Mr. Bartram could have made such a statement onlybecause he had few opportunities of studying the bird in question in itsproper haunts. The WTood Ibis is rarely met with single, even after the breeding season,and it is more easy for a person to see a hundred together at any period ofthe year, than to meet with one by itself. Nay, I have seen flocks com-posed of several thousands, and that there is a natural necessity for their \- I) - •> Y\.:n.
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.r.iru //vv//. f/ft/trv. /-/-,/./ .///,,toi// ///.»/•/../.• I,,//,-/■r>r,/<-,t Xlr, . THE WOOD IBIS. 65 flocking together I shall explain to you. This species feeds entirely on fishand aquatic reptiles, of which it destroys an enormous quantity, in fact morethan it eats; for if they have been killing fish for half an hour and havegorged themselves, they suffer the rest to lie on the water untouched, whenit becomes food for Alligators, Crows, and Vultures, whenever these animalscan lay hold of it. To procure its food, the Wood Ibis walks throughshallow muddy lakes or bayous in numbers. As soon as they have dis-covered a place abounding in fish, they dance as it were all through it, untilthe water becomes thick with the mud stirred from the bottom by their feet.The fishes, on rising to the surface, are instantly struck by the beaks of theIbises, and, on being deprived of life, they turn over and so remain. In thecourse of ten or fifteen minutes, hundre

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