Trumpeter Swan 73 



Smith notices two examples— one shot thirty miles south of Denver, 

 probably at Palmer Lake, and one in the south of the State ; Cooke 

 adds another shot at Fort Collins in the fall of 1896, while there is an 

 example in the Colorado Museum of Natural History at Denver, 

 obtained at Eaton, near Greeley. 



ORDER HERODIONES. 



This order contains the Storks, Herons, Ibises and 

 Spoonbills, but not the Cranes. They are all marsh- 

 loving birds, mostly of large size, and have long bills 

 and necks and legs. The lower part of the tibial portion 

 of the leg is nearly always bare ; the toes are long with 

 only a basal web as a rule, while the hind toe is jointed 

 on a level with the others in nearly every case ; the 

 young are hatched helpless, and dependent on their 

 parents for a considerable time. 



The order comprises six families ; representatives 

 of three of these are found in Colorado. 



Key of the Families and Genera. 



A. Bill flattened and spoon-shaped (Plataleidce). Ajaja, p. 74. 



B. Bill long and down-curved and grooved throughout. (Ibididce). 



a. Face and chin naked in adults. Plegadis, p. 76. 



b. Only the front of the face naked. Guara, p. 75. 



C. Bill long and straight, with the tip only decm-ved ; not grooved 



on the sides ; claw of middle toe not pectinated (Ciconiidce). 



Mycteria, p. 78. 



D. Bill long and straight, grooved along the sides ; claw of the 



middle toe pectinated on the inner side (Ardeidce). 



a. Ten tail-feathers. 



a^ Larger tarsus shorter than the middle toe and claw. 



Botaurus, p. 79. 

 b* Smaller tarsus about equal to the middle toe and claw. 



Ixobrychus, p. 81. 



b. Twelve tail-feathers. 



a^ Naked portion of the tibio-tarsus equal to or exceeding the 

 inner toe and claw, 

 a^ Plumage white, 

 a* Long plumes on the back only. Herodias, p. 84. 



