Dr. B. S. Ba RTON’s Account of the Tantalus Ephauskyca. 25 
five or six inches in length, arched or bent gradually downwards, 
in that respect to be compared to one half of a bent bow: it is 
large or thick near the base, compressed on each side, and flatted 
at top and beneath, which makes it appear four-square for more 
than an inch, where the nostrils are placed, from whence to their 
tips both mandibles are round, gradually lessening or tapering to 
their extremities, which are thicker for about half an inch than 
immediately above, by which the mandibles never fit quite close 
their whole length: the upper mandible.is a small matter longer 
than the under: the bill is of a dusky green colour, more bright 
and yellowish about. the base and angles of the mouth. The tail 
is very short, and the middle feather the longest: the others on 
each side shorten gradually, and are of the colour of the rest of 
the bird, only somewhat darker: the two shortest or outermost 
feathers are perfectly white, which the bird has a faculty of flirt- 
ing out on either side as quick as a flash of lightning, especially 
when he hears or sees any thing that disturbs him, uttering at the 
same instant an extreme harsh and loud shriek. His neck is long 
and slender; and his legs are also long, and bare of feathers above 
the knee, like those of the bittern, and are black, or of a dark 
lead colour *.” 
It will be evident, I think, from an inspection of the drawing, 
that the Ephouskyca is a species of the genus Tantalus or Ibis ; 
a genus of which America produces many species, several of 
which are now known to be natives of the United States. I can- 
not, however, find that the ** Crying Bird" is noticed by any of 
the European ornithologists. I am pretty sure that it is not one 
of the nineteen species described by Mr. Latham in his General 
Synopsis of Birds. I may add, that our bird has entirely escaped 
* Travels through North and South Carolina, Georgia, East and West Florida, &e., by 
William Bartram, pp. 147, 148, Philadelphia, 1791. 
YOL. XII. E the 
