494 IBIS FALCINELLUS. 



greatly resembles in form, although it differs in several 

 respects, as will be seen on comparing the description of the 

 two species. The body is rather slender ; the neck long, 

 the head rather small, oblong, and compressed. 



The bill is very long, slender, arcuate, tapering, com- 

 pressed ; the upper mandible with the dorsal line arcuate, 

 the ridge rather narrow, more convex toward the end, 

 separated by a narrow groove, extending to the point, from 

 the sides, which at the base are nearly erect, but toward the 

 end very narrow and convex, the edges sharp and inflected, 

 the tip obtuse, but thin-edged and not probe-pointed as in 

 the Curlews or Snipes ; the lower mandible more slender, 

 with the angle long, very narrow, with a groove extending 

 from it to the tip, the sides erect and fiat at the base, with a 

 slight longitudinal groove, beyond the angle convex, the 

 edges inclinate and sharp, the tip obtuse, the gape-line 

 arcuate, commencing before the eyes. 



The upper mandible is fiat within, but extremely narrow, 

 with a groove and median prominent line in its basal half, 

 and four prominent lines toward the end ; the lower mandible 

 still narrower internally, with two prominent lines. 



The legs are very long and slender ; the tibia bare and 

 reticulated for nearly half its length ; the tarsi long, slender, 

 compressed, anteriorly covered with twenty-eight broad 

 scutella, behind and on the sides with small scales. The 

 toes are rather long, compressed, scutellatc above, flattened 

 beneath, the anterior connected at the base by membranes, 

 of which the outer is larger ; the hind toe rather long, the 

 second a little shorter than the fourth. The claws are rather 

 small, slender, slightly arched, compressed, rather acute, that 

 of the middle toe with the inner edge thin. 



A bare space extends on each side from the bill to a little 

 behind the eye. The plumage is moderate ; the feathers of 

 the head and neck slender and tapering, of the upper parts 

 of the body ovate and compact, of the lower parts blended ; 

 those of all the upper parts glossy with silky lustre. The 

 wings are long and broad, of twenty-three quills, the first 

 quill is a quarter of an inch shorter than the second, which 

 is scarcely exceeded by the third, and longer than the fourth, 



