112 HISTORY OF THE 



Family CICONIID^. Storks and Wood Ibises. 



"Large, Heron-like birds, with the bill much longer than the head, thick 

 through the base, and more or less elongate conical; the nostrils sub-basal, more 

 or less superior, and bored into the bony substance of the bill, without overhang- 

 ing or surrounding membrane; maxilla without any lateral groove. Legs 

 covered with small longitudinal hexagonal scales; claws short, depressed, their 

 ends broad and convex, resting upon horny, cresceutic 'shoes;' hallux with its 

 base elevated decidedly above the base of the anterior toes." 



Subfamily TANTALIN^. Wood Ibises. 



"Bill elongated, subconical, subcylindrical, the end attenuated and decurved^ 

 with the tip rounded; nostrils decidedly superior; toes long, the middle one one- 

 half or more the length of the tarsus; lateral toes unequal, the outer decidedly 

 longer than the inner; claws moderately lengthened, rather narrow, claw-like." 



Genus TANTALUS Linn^us. 



'• Large, Stork-like birds, with long legs, neck and beak, the latter attenuated 

 and decurved terminally, much as in the true Ibises. Bill much thickened at 

 the base, both vertically and laterally, much attenuated terminally, where almost 

 abrupt, but not greatly decurved. Nostrils bored directly into the bony sub- 

 stance of the bill, the maxilla destitute of any trace of a nasal groove. Legs 

 covered with small longitudinal hexagonal scales. Toes long, very slender, the 

 middle one about or little more than half the length of the tarsus, the outer 

 one reaching to the middle of the subterminal phalanx of the middle toe, the 

 inner much shorter, not reaching the subterminal articulation of the middle toe; 

 hallux about equal to the Inner toe and claw; bare portion of the tibia longer 

 llian the middle toe, the upper third or more without scales, and smooth; web 

 between the inner and middle toes well developed, but smaller than the outer 

 web. Plumage compact above, loose below; the feathers of the neck small, 

 their webs somewhat decomposed. Kemiges well developed, the tertials reach- 

 ing to the end of the primaries, the latter hard, concave beneath, the outer four 

 with their inner webs deeply sinuated at or anterior to the middle portion; sec- 

 ond, third and fourth quills nearly equal, or longest. Tail short (shorter than 

 bill or tarsus), even, of twelve broad, stiff feathers. Adult with the whole head 

 and upper half of the nape bare, covered with hard, scurfy and more or less 

 corrugated skin. Young with the whole head and neck, except the chin and 

 forehead, feathered." 



Tantalus loculator Linn. 



WOOD IBIS. 

 plate VIII. 



Irregular summer visitant; rare. Dr. George Lisle wrote me, 

 in the spring of 1883, that he had noticed the birds a few times 

 on the flats east of Chetopa, and that Albert Garrett killed a 

 very fine specimen there about six years ago; and Dr. Lewis 



