162 NATURAL HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



ited a breeding colony near Amsterdam, in Holland, from the interesting account of 

 which we select the following : 



" Having inspected the cormorants' breeding-place, we proceeded about fifty yards 

 further through the reed-beds, over a still more treacherous swamp, to the breeding- 

 place of the spoonbills. The nests of these birds were not situated so near together 

 as those of the cormorants, but scattered about two or three yards from each other, 

 with thin patches of reeds growing between them. There was, however, a clear open 

 space in the neighborhood, formed of broken-down reeds, in which the birds were said 

 to congregate. The spoonbill's nest, in the Horster Meer at least, is a mere flattened 

 surface of broken reed, not elevated more than two or three inches above the feneral 



O 



level of the swamp ; and no other substance but reed appears to be used in its con- 

 struction. What the proper complement of eggs would be if the birds were left 

 undisturbed we cannot say, for, as in the case of the cormorants, the nests are robbed 

 systematically twice a week, until the period when it is known by experience that they 

 cannot produce anymore eggs. Then at last the birds are allowed to sit undisturbed. 

 At the time of our visit the season for collecting esgs was just past ; but we helped 

 ourselves to eight fresh eggs, from different nests, laid since the last collection had 

 been made. During all the time that we were in the reed-beds, the cormorants and 

 spoonbills were floating about over our heads, fully aware that there was an enemy 

 in the camp." 



The characters of the super-family ARDEOIDE^E having already been stated to 

 be the reverse of those given for the Ibidoideae, we may at once proceed to treat of 

 the separate families. 



Through the wood-ibises, which, indeed, until very recently, in the systems were 

 associated and more or less confounded with the true ibises, we are led into the 

 CICONIID^E, the storks. With a general resemblance to the herons, the storks combine 

 quite important external and internal characters of their own. Of the former it is 

 sufficient to mention the connection of all the anterior toes at the base, the scutella- 

 tion of the tarsus, the evident, though slight, elevation of the hind toe, and the broad- 

 ness of the feather-tracts. The internal peculiarities are still more important. The 

 pectoral muscle, which in all members of the super-family is more or less separable 

 into two layers, is completely double in the storks; the ambiens is rarely absent ; 

 flexor hallucis sends a special slip to the second toe ; an expansor secundariorum is 

 present ; in regard to the respiratory organs it is to be remarked that the syrinx has 

 no intrinsic muscles, and that the storks consequently are deprived of voice, and the 

 only sound they produce is a loud clatter, by beating their huge mandibles together ; 

 the rings of the bronchi are complete. Rudiments of two caeca are visible. 



The storks are diurnal birds, usually of solitary habits, though some of them nest 

 in colonies, as, for instance, the wood-ibises. Their peculiar clattering of the bill in 

 defect of the voice is already mentioned. Their flight is easy, powerful, and quiet. 

 A flying stork may always be told from a heron on the wing, as it keeps the neck 

 directed straight forward, like the ibises, while the heron flies Avith the neck bent and 

 the head withdrawn so far back as to rest above the shoulders. 



The family comprises about two dozen species of a somewhat peculiar geographical 

 distribution. While occurring all over the tropical and temperate regions of the 

 world, they are nearly wanting in North America ; for although both the wood-ibis and 

 the jabiru are enumerated in our faunal lists, only the former occurs and breeds regu- 

 larly in the southern parts of the country, the latter being only an occasional visitor. 



