170 



NATURAL HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



position, ainl, on the wholf, the relntionsliip of the perplexing ami curious species 

 whicli alone constitutes tlie family Scoi'ID.e, wo sliall here intniiluce a slight nioditica- 

 tion of the synoptical table whicii Prof. V. E. Beildard laid litfon- the Zoological 

 Society of London, in November, 1884 : — 



Storks. Seoput. Heron*. 



Pectoral muticle. Completely double. Not completely double. 



Amhienn iiiiiscle. Barely absent. Always absent. 



Fluor liallueiH, With a special slip to the second toe. With no slip to the 



second toe. 



Expansor secundar, 

 Oriijin of obtur. int. 

 Sj/rius, 



Anterior rings of 



bronchi, 

 Ccecu, 



PotcJer-doions, 

 Neck, durin'j flight, 



carried, 



Present. 



Without intrinsic mus- 

 cles. 

 Complete. 



Absent (except in Cochleariux and Eyretta.) 

 Oval. Triangular. 



With intrinsic muscles. 



Incomplete, closed by membrane. 



Two. 

 Absent. 



Straight. 



One. 

 Present. 



Cur^-ed backwards. 



In view of this table one must .igree with Prof. Beddard th.at Scopus is in many 

 resi)ects an intermediate ty]ie between the CiconiiiUe, on the one hand, and the 

 Ardeidie on the other. As >'<coj)us also has many peculiarities of its own, esjjecially 

 in the skeleton, we also follow him in separating it as an cqnivalent family. 



The umbrettc (.S'. imihrettii), as the name imlieates and the acconi]»anyin!i; cut 

 illustrates, is a sombre-looking bird, <lull brownish dusky all <jver, with a long occi]ii- 

 tal crest. The l)ill is rather peculiar : the culmen is elevated at the base, keeled, and 

 curved at the ti]i, which is hooked; the siiles are nuich com])ressed, and grooved near 

 the culmen from the base to the tip; the goiiys is long and curved upwards, and the 

 nostrils are partly closed by a membranous scale. All three anterior toes are con- 

 nected with a membrane at ba.se, as in the storks, but the nail of the middle toe is 

 pectinated, as in the herons, and the tarsus is reticulate. 



The habits of the Ijird, especially in nesting and breeding, are nearly as remarkable 

 as its internal structure, and (juite as interesting. We first introduce a general 

 account by Dr. Anton Reichcnow, who m.ade its acquaintance in western Africa. 



"The mnber binl is stx'iable only in a slight degrie. It is usually fomid single 

 except at the nest, in wooded districts, watching for tislies with its neck drawn in, or 

 walking with measured steps in search of frogs which, besides worms, snails, and 

 insects, constitute its food. Its flight resembles that of the ibises, neck and feet 

 being carried straight out, the former, however, as I had the opportunity to observe, 

 slightly curved. Its voice is a harsh quack, similar to that of the spoon-bill. It 

 roosts in trees or jtasses the night in its nest, which is a very peculiar structure, com- 

 pletely over-vaulted, and -shiqu'il like an oven, with an entrance from the side. The 

 interior is said to usually contain several divisions. The diameter of such a nest, 

 which is built of branches .and twigs, is live or si.\ feet. The eggs, three to five in 

 number, are white, and resemble those of the storks. It seems to be a slationarv 

 resident throughout its range." 



Dr. Kirk says that the Africans look on this binl as unfit for food, and al-so as 

 sacred, or as possessing the jwwer of witchcraft; and to injure it is everywhere 

 regarded as inilucky. lie asserts that the colossal nest serves for many years, and 

 Mr. E. L. l.ayard describes a j)lace where lie counted si.\ or eight within fifty yards, 



