Note 16 — ANTS

This particular specimen is commemorated by Rudolph von Tschusi (son of the well-known ornithologist) in “Ornithologisches Jahrbuch,” IX, 1898, Heft 2. According to H. Walchner’s “Ornithologie des Bodenseebeckens” (1835) the ibis is of the “greatest rarity” on this sheet of water, only a single instance of its occurrence being then known, which is precisely why I bought this one. Apropos of woodpeckers—Bruhin, in his “Wirbelthiere Vorarlbergs” (1868) also says that he saw the lesser spotted kind only once; the bird must therefore be far from common. And this year, for the first time, I had the pleasure of spying the three-toed one. We were walking down from Lagutz to Marul (see p. 155) through that magnificent Alpine forest when we noticed a pair of them. They kept close together, one following the other and we following both; so tame were they, that we could approach within a few yards and see the yellow on the head of the male. I observed that they had the same habit as the middle-spotted woodpecker, of investigating carefully not only the trunk but the branches of trees. While watching them I thought: how wise of you to have kept out of my way till now!