CHAPTER IV 



NEORNITHES CARINATAE CONTINUED 



BRIGADE I LEGION II (PELARGOMORPHAE). ORDERS : GICONII- 



FORMES ANSERIFORMES FALCONIFORMES 



Order V. CICONIIFORMES. 



The Order Ciconiifonnes is a somewhat unwieldy assemblage con- 

 sisting mainly of Water-birds, which may be classed under the 

 Sub-Orders Steganopodes, Ardeae, Ciconiae, and Phoenicopteri. 

 Of these the first contains the Phaethontidae or Tropic-birds, the 

 Sulidae or Gannets, the Phalacrocoracidae or Cormorants and 

 Darters, the Frcgatidae or Prigate-birds, and the Pelecanidae or 

 Pelicans ; the second the Ardeidae or Herons and Bitterns, and the 

 Scopidae with the Umbrette ; the third the Giconiidae or Storks and 

 " Wood-Ibises," and the Ihididae or true Ibises and Spoon-bills ; 

 while the fourth comprises the Phoenico'pteridae or Flamingos, 

 and the extinct genus Palaelodus, for which Dr. Gadow recognises 

 a separate family Palaelodidae. Among these the greatest 

 affinity to the Procellariiformes is exhibited by the Steganopodes, 

 whereas the Phoenicopteri are so closely allied to the Anscriformes 

 that not a few writers prefer to include them in that Order. 



The Steganopodes are aquatic and chiefly marine birds, so 

 far homogeneous in structure that the details may well lie set 

 forth in common ; while in some points they bear a great resem- 

 blance to the Cathartidae} Each Family contains a single genus, 

 except the Phalacrocoracidae, where Phalacrocorax and Plotus 

 may be considered the equivalents of Sub-families. 



The sternum is long, especially in Sula, while the large head 



and short thick neck of Phaethon and Fregata may be contrasted 



with the small head and remarkably long neck of Phalacrocorax, 



and still more of Plotus ; Sula and Pclecaniis being moderate in 



^ H. Gadow, Bronn's Thier-Iieich, Aves, Syst. Theil. 1893, p. 135. 



