. American ornithology, or, The natural history of the birds of the United States [microform]. Birds; Oiseaux. 386 GLOSSY IBIS. art, HO much indeed that it is by no means easy to lay the parts bare for inspection without injuring them. Space appears to have been con- sidered of much value in preparing these mummies, and every means was used to secure them within the least possible compass, by bending and folding the limbs one upon another. The neck i^ twisted so as to bring the crown of the head on the body, a little to the left of the stomach, the curved bill with its convexity upward is plac
. American ornithology, or, The natural history of the birds of the United States [microform]. Birds; Oiseaux. 386 GLOSSY IBIS. art, HO much indeed that it is by no means easy to lay the parts bare for inspection without injuring them. Space appears to have been con- sidered of much value in preparing these mummies, and every means was used to secure them within the least possible compass, by bending and folding the limbs one upon another. The neck i^ twisted so as to bring the crown of the head on the body, a little to the left of the stomach, the curved bill with its convexity upward is placed between the foet, thus reaching beyond the extremity of the tail: each foot with its four claws turned forward, one bent upward and elevated on each side of tho head ; the wings brought close to the sides, much in their natural position. In separating them to discover the interior, nothing of tho viscera nor any of the soft parts remain, the bones exhibit no traces of muscle or tendon adhering to them, and the joints separate at the least touch. Most of these mummies, it must be admitted, are not of the species of which we are writing (and which also is but seldom repre- sented hieroglyphically), but of the white kind, which was more vene- rated, the Ibig reli'giosa of Cuvier; and some authors even deny that a well authenticated Black Ibis has ever been unwrapped. Complete birds even of the white species are extremely rare. Cuvier obtained the entire skeleton from an embalmed subject, and Dr. Pearson was sol fortunate as to discover the perfect bird in two brought among other mummies from Thebes. They have been accurately described in the scientific journals of England under the name of true Egyptian or Theban Ibis. The Egyptian Ibis of Latham is however nothing but the Tantalus Ibis. Buffon by means of his mummies was enabled to verify the real size of the Ibis, and as he found two bills entire among those he examined, he settled the genus to which the sacred bird belonged,
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectois
