162 Prof. Reinhardt's Remarks on the Genus Balseniceps. 



and therefore among the Herons, where its reticulated tarsi also 

 are not rightly at home. 



Extending the comparison between the three birds in question 

 to the plumage {ptilosis), it will also be found that in this respect 

 Balmiiceps is more nearly allied to Scopus than to Cancroma. 

 In the last, as generally in Herons, the basal downy portion of 

 the webs is comparatively small, and there is scarcely any down 

 intermixed with the true feathers. In Balaniceps precisely the 

 contrary is the case. The downy portion of the webs is large, 

 and genuine down is found intermixed with the feathers in some 

 quantity, just as with the Storks in general and Leptoptilus in 

 particular. Moreover the accessory plumule [hxjjjerrhachis) is 

 large and well developed in Cancroma, but very small in Balee- 

 niceps, which in this respect also is most nearly allied to Scopus 

 and the Storks, among which, as is known, there are some spe- 

 cies without any accessory plumule whatever. With a stuffed 

 bird, the division of the feathers into regular patches (ptenjlosis) 

 cannot be minutely examined, esjaecially when its rarity obliges 

 one at the same time to be careful of it. Therefore, as the speci- 

 men oi Balaniceps which the Uoyal Museum possesses was already 

 stuffed when it arrived, the author has not been able to assure 

 himself regarding this bird's pterylosis; meanwhile it appears to 

 him that Balaniceps is quite as near to Scopus as to Cancroma in 

 this respect. In the last the pterylosis is essentially the same 

 as in the Herons, while Scopus presents the same distribution of 

 feathers as the Storks, but differs from them and from most, if not 

 from all, other birds in having four patches [pteryla:) and four 

 rows of feathers {apteria) running along the neck. In Balani- 

 ceps the neck appears to the author to be everywhere beset with 

 feathers ; and if it be so, this is a great deviation from Scopus. 

 But supposing this deviation to be of little account, as in this 

 respect the latter stands so completely isolated, a neck clothed 

 all round with feathers would fairly bring Balaniceps nearer to 

 the Storks, but not to Cancroma, which, like the Herons, has a 

 broad row of feathers along the back and a similar one along the 

 front of the neck. One of the most essentially distinctive marks 

 by which the Stork-family is separated from the Herons in their 

 pterylosis is the great development of the two patches of feathers 



