IBIDID.E — THE IBISES — PLEQADIS. 



93 



Gen. Char. Bill shallow through the base, moderately tapering, and gently curved ; the base 

 not turgid, and the basal outline of the maxilla deeply concave; bare portion of tibia equal to or 

 longer than outer toe ; middle toe about three fourths the tarsus ; inner toe reaching past the sub- 

 terminal articulation of the middle toe ; hallux about equal to the basal phalanx of the inner toe. 

 Forehead and orbital, malar, and gnlar regions completely feathered, the lores only being naked, 

 the feathering on the chin forming an acute angle whicli advances to as far as the middle of the 



^^. 



P. falcinellus. 



nostrils ; feathers of the pileum elongated, lanceolate, and distinct, forming, when erected, a sort 

 of full, rounded crest ; those of, the occiput and nape, and upper half of the neck all round, also 

 distinct and lanceolate. Plumage chiefly metallic green above ; the adults with head and upper 

 part of neck chestnut, and lower parts chestnut (falcinellus and guaraunci) or violet-blackish (Bidg- 

 wayi) ; the young with head and upper part of neck streaked grayish brown and white, the lower 

 parts grayish brown (falcinellus and cjuaraunct) or violet-dusky (Ridgivayi). 



This genus differs conspicuously from Euclocimus in the complete feathering of the head^ 

 (excepting only the lores and the space between the mandibular rami) and in the brilliantly 

 metallic plumage. P. falcinellus and P. guarauna are exactly alike in the details of form and 

 general coloration ; but P. Rklgwayi is very different from them in both these respects. Their 

 comparative characters may be thus expressed in a synoptical table : — 



A. Legs and feet long and slender, the tarsus with a nearh^ continuous frontal series of trans- 

 verse scutella?. Adult, with the neck, back, lesser wing-coverts, and lower parts opaque 

 chestnut. Young, with the head and upper part of the neck streaked grayish brown and 

 white, the lower parts plain grayish brown. 



1. P. falcinellus. Feathers around base of bill, blackish ; lores greenish in life. Wing, 



10.20-11.85 ; culmen, 4. .30-5.45 ; tarsus, 2.90-4.30; middle toe, 2.10-2.80. Hah. Palse- 

 arctic region (warmer portions), Eastern United States and West Indies. 



2. P. guarauna. Feathers around base of bill whitish ; lores lake-i-ed in life. Wing, 9.30- 



10.80 ; culmen, 3.75-6.00 ; tarsus, 3.00-4.40 ; middle toe, 2.10-2.85. Hah. South and 

 Middle America, and Western North America as far north as the Columbia Eiver, 



^ In this feature there is considevahle resemblance to Harpiprion, which, however, is very different 

 in other respects, and belongs to a different "sub-family" {Ibidinoc). 



