Order PH(E NIC OPTEEI. 



LAMELLIROSTRAL GRALLATOREB. 



Chae. Lamellirostral and Prsecocial Grallatores, with the neck and legs excess- 

 ively elongated, the anterior toes fully webbed, the hallux very small, elevated, 

 or sometimes altogether wanting, the bill abruptly bent in the middle portion, 

 the mandible much deeper in the middle portion than the maxilla. Eggs few 

 in number (one or two), pure white, with a soft calcareous shell. 



The Flamingoes are Lamellirostral Waders, and possess so many peculiarities of 

 structure, that they may very properly be considered as constituting by themselves 

 a distinct Order, for which Professor Huxley has proposed the term Aviphimorphce. 

 This Order comprises a single family, which is represented throughout the warmer 

 parts of the globe, with the exception of the Australian and Malayan Eegions. 



Family PHCENICOPTEPJD^. — The Flamingoes. 

 Chae. Same as those of the Order. 



The Flamingoes constitute a strongly marked and very peculiar family of birds, 

 resembling somewhat the Cranes, Herons, and Storks in general appearance, but 

 much more nearly related to the Anatidce (Ducks, Geese, and Swans) in their struc- 

 ture, while in the peculiar form of the bill and excessive elongation of the neck and 

 legs they are entirely unique. There appear to be only two well-marked genera, 

 PhcPMicoptervs and Tlicpnicoparrus^ the latter, distinguished by the absence of the 

 hind toe and a peculiar form of bill, being represented by a single species, found in 

 the Peruvian Andes. 



Genus PHCENICOPTERUS, Linn^us. 



PhoRnicopterus, Linn. S. N. cd. 10, 1758, 139 ; ed. 12, I. 1766, 230 (type, P. ruher, Linn.). 

 Fhcenico7iaias, Gray, Ibis, 1869, 442 (type, Phcenicopterus riMdus, Feilden). 

 Phcenicorodia/i, Gray, Ibis, 1869, 443 (type, Phomicoptcrus ruber, Linn.). 



Char. Neck and legs excessively elongated, the lower two thirds of the tibia bare, the ante- 

 rior two thirds of both tibia and tarsus enveloped by one continuous series of liroad transverse 

 scutellsc, the circumference completed l)y a smaller posterior series. All the anterior toes com- 

 pletely webbed, the longest about one fourth the tarsus ; hind toe present, but small and elevated ; 

 claws short, broad, and blunt, scarcely extending beyond the underlying pad forming the end of 



1 PnffiNicoPARRUS, "Bp. 185" (Gray), (tj-pe, PlioMicopterios andinus, Philippi ; of. "Ibis," 1869, 

 p. 441, pi. 15, figs. 9, 10). 



