BIRDS —T'ANTALIDAE. 681 
Family TANTALIDAE. 
Cu.—With naked spaces about the base of the very long, rounded, much attenuated, and decurved bill. Toes with a basal 
web, especially between the inner and middle ones. 
Of the present family but two well marked genera occur within the limits of the United 
States, namely Tantalus and Eudocimus. Falcinellus is so little different from the latter as 
scarcely to be worthy of generic rank. Bonaparte divides the Yantalidae into several sub- 
families, which, with the North American genera, may be characterized as follows: 
TANTALINAE.—Bill very much thickened at base, without any nasal groove. Nostrils opening 
directly in the substance of the bill, not surrounded by membrane. Legs lengthened, and 
covered with hexagonal scales. 
Tantatus.—Head bare of feathers. 
GERONTICINAE.—Bill with a groove extending nearly to the tip. Legs with reticulated scales. 
Species confined to the old world and to South America. 
Isryar.—Bill rather slender at the base; upper mandible grooved to the tip. Nostrils sur- 
rounded, except below, by membrane. Legs anteriorly with transverse scutellae. 
Ists.—Forehead bare of feathers ; claws curved ; plumage dull. 
Farcrnettus.—Forehead feathered ; claws straight ; plumage metallic. 
I have been obliged to change Bonaparte’s names of sub-families by calling his Ibinae, 
Geronticinae, and restoring the name of Jbinae to his Hudociminae. This is in consequence of 
the fact that Ibis of Moehring, 1752, has the Tantalus ruber, of Linnaeus, as type, and must be 
applied to the North American birds, so that Eudocimus becomes a synonym. 
Bartram, in his Travels in Florida, (1791,) describes a Tantalus pictus, of which Barton pub- 
lishes a figure, in Trans. Linn. Soc. London, XII, 1818, 24, pl. i, given him by Bartram, and 
there calls it Zantalus ephouskyca. It is difficult to say whether this be Tantalus, Ibis or Aramus. 
The coloration as described, however, differs materially from that of any known species of these 
genera, 
Comparative measurements of Tantalidae. 
| | ¢ E 2 
| : = | 2 Es = 
Catal. Species. Locality. Ss é zB 2 3 =o | Specimen 
=p o = = S = 
No, a S = = z = = 5 | measured. 
o o a a = = = 
BR 4 = aja | & A | 4 
9497 Tantalus loculator... ......-...+- Lower Rio Grande......... 70 | 0.56 | 8.40 | 7.90 | Skin...... 
STIG bis TUbIa:cccccoesssces.s South America ........00- 20 | 0.50 | 6.80 | 6.50 | Skin...... 
9502: | Ibis alba... ....0sccccecves St. Simon’s island, Ga...... 22 | 0.53 | 7.00 | 6.60 | Skin...... 
1076 |.02-dO..cccccccccerevess ssoccccees| Liberty county, Ga........ 08 | 0.50 | 6.60 | 6.50 |} Skin ...... 
9500 |.... Indian river, Fla......ss04- 72 | 0.44 | 5.10 | 5.20 | Skin ...... 
GO. «| .00cAO.eccccceccccsccccescvccceces| sscccccs GO. cere cevcccccccce | covcve| cocccccclccccsre lovsvee|scccce|cocses|coecce|seccce|eveves Fresh . 
9503 | Ibis ordii..... Texas 80 | 0.56 | 4.35 | 4.30 | Skin...... 
9870 |....do San Diego, Cal....scesceees es 90 | 0.56 | 4.30 | 4.30 | Skin..... : 
July 29, 1858. 
86 b 
