86 ALTRICIAL GRALLATORES — HERODIONES. 



species, not including several of doubtful validity, or about one third of those known). 

 Of the exotic species, Africa possesses about nine (two of them in common with 

 Southern Europe), Asia live, and Australia two. A very great diversity of form and 

 l')lumage is to be seen among the various species, some being trim and graceful in 

 their build, and others uncouth, with Vulture-like head and neck — some plain in 

 colors, while others are among the most brilliant of birds. The scarlet plumage of 

 Eudocimics ruber is not surpassed in nature for pureness and intensity of color, and 

 the beautiful decomposed tertial plumes of Ibis cvthiojncus are scarcely excelled in 

 gracefulness. The species of Molybdophanes, Theristicus, and Ceiribis, however, 

 possess but little beauty. 



The family is divisible into two well-deiined sections, which may be termed sub- 

 families, distinguished mainly by the character of the tarsal scutellation. They may 

 be defined as follows : — 



Siib-ftuuih' Ibidinae. Front of the tarsus covered with hexagonal scales. 



Sub-family Eudociminae. Front of the tarsus with large, transverse scutellse, arranged in a more 

 or less continuous single series. 



o* 



Both the above sub-families are represented in America, but only the latter in the 

 northern continent. The North American genera may be recognized by the follow- 



ing characters : — 



Sub-family EUDOCIMINiE.i — The Ibises. 



Eudocimus. Head of adult wholly naked anteriorly. Feathers of the pileuni short, 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 rounded crest when erected. Colors 

 highly metallic, of varied tints ; in adult, metallic greenish, bronze or purple above, plain 

 brown beneath, in young. 



Genus EUDOCIMUS, Wagler.^ 



Eudocimics, Wagl. Isis, 1832, 1232 (type, Tantalus ruber, Lixn.). 

 Gwira, "Joan de Lakt.," Reichenb. Ilandb. 1851, p. xiv (same type). 

 " Paribis, Geoffroy." 

 Lcudbis, Reichenb. Handb. 1851, p. xiv (type, TanUtlus alhcr, Linn.). 



Gen. Char. — Bill moderately slender, attenuated toward the end, strongly decurved ; bare 

 portion of the tibia (^qual 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 subterminal articula- 

 tion of the middle toe ; outer toe reaching to or beyond the middle of the subterminal 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 toward the tip, its inner jirojecting 



1 For a more compreliensive account of the birds of this family, the reader is referred to the following 

 special papers : — 



(1) Rcvicio of the Ibidiiuc, or Sub-famili/ of the Ibises, by D. G. Elliot, F.R.S.E., etc., in Proc. Zool. 

 Soc, Loudon, 1877, pp. 477-510. 



(2) Systcmatische Uebersicht der Schrcitvogel (Gressorcs), etc., von Dr. Ant. Reichenow, in Jour, fiir 

 Ora., 1877 (the Ibises on i)p. 143-146). 



2 Cf. Elliot, P. Z. S. 1877, 482; Scl. & Salv., Ibis, Oct. 1878, 449, foot-note. The latter say : 

 " Ibis was applied by Savigny in 1810 to the Sacred Ibis, before Vieillot used it for the former group 

 [i. e. I. alba and /. rub7-a], for wliicli, consequently, Eudocimus of Wagler is the correct term." 



