107* BIRDS OF ILLINOIS. 



Both of the above subfamilies are represented in America, but 

 only the latter in the northern continent. The North American 

 genera may be recognized by the following characters: 



SUBFAMILY GTJARIN-ffi. 



Guara. Head of adult wholly naked anteriorly. Feathers of the pileum Bhort. close, 

 and blended, and those of the neck not distinctly lanceolate. Colors plain white or red, 

 with black wing-tips, in adults ; dull gray and white in young. 



Plegadis. Head of adult wholly feathered, except the lores; feathers of the pileum 

 distinctly lanceolate and slightly elongated, forming a slightly roundedcrest when erected. 

 Colors highly metallic, of varied tints; metallic greenish, bronze or purple above; neck 

 and under parts chestnut in adults; neck streaked with white and under parts grayish 

 brown in young. 



GENUS GTJARA REICHENBACH. 



Eudocimus WAGL. Isis, 1832, 1232 (nee Eudocima BILLBEBG, 1820). Type, Scolopax 



rubra LINN. 



Guara REICH. Syst. Av. 1852, p. xiv. Type. Scolopax rubra LINN. 

 Leucibis REICH. Syst. Av. 1852, p. xiv. Type, Scolopax alba LINN. 



GEN. CHAE. Bill moderately slender, attenuated toward the end, strongly decurved; 

 bare portion of the tibia equal to or rather shorter than the outer toe ; middle toe, with 

 claw, shorter than the tarsus; inner toe (without claw) reaching to or a little beyond the sub- 

 terminal articulation of the middle toe; outer toe reaching to or beyond the middle of the 

 aubterminal phalanx of the middle toe; hallux about equal to the basal phalanx of the inner 

 toe; claws short, moderately curved, that of the middle toe more or less bent outwardly to- 

 ward the tip, its inner projecting edge convex. Anterior half of the head bare (in the adult) 

 including the forehead, lores, orbital and malar regions, chin, and more or less of the throat; 

 in the young, this bare skin more restricted. Feathers of the head and neck dense but 

 rather soft, with rather distinct outlines, but with somewhat truncated tips. Primaries ex- 

 tending a little beyond the tertials, the second and third quills longest and nearly equal, 

 first a little shorter than the fourth; inner webs of outer four slightly sinuated toward their 

 ends. Adults with the plumage entirely uniform white or scarlet, except tips of the longer 

 quills, which are^glossy black. Young, uniform dark brownish gray, the belly white. 



Species. 



a\ Adult, pure intense scarlet, the tips of the longer primaries glossy blue-black. Young, 

 dark brownish gray, with belly white G. rubra. 



a*. Adult, pure white (sometimes tinged with pink in the breeding season or in freshly 

 killed specimens), the tips of longer primaries glossy greenish black. Young, gray- 

 ish brown, the rump, tail-coverts, base of tail, and under parts white G. alba. 



Both the Scarlet and the White Ibises are peculiar to the warmer 

 parts of America. They are in a measure complementary to one 

 another in their distribution, for, while their respective ranges 

 overlap in Central America the former is found chiefly in the 

 northern parts of South America and the latter in the more 

 southern United States and in Mexico. So similar are these spe- 

 cies in size, proportions, and pattern of coloration, and to a cer- 



