156 Additions to the Ornithology 



events to have been called Rallus scolopaceus. It is unne- 

 cessary to offer an apology for not tracing a species so mis- 

 placed in the systems, and to which even false characters had 

 been attributed; for who could with the ordinary means have 

 traced Turdus felivox, Vieill. (lividus Wils.) in the Muscicapa 

 carolinensis of Linne? Illiger would certainly, and most 

 probably did consider our bird a true Rallus ; notwithstand- 

 ing, after a more careful examination of several specimens of 

 this anomalous species, we have recognised that it is interme- 

 diate between the genera Ardea, Rallus, and perhaps Nu- 

 menius ; and that it was with great propriety that Vieillot 

 made it the type of his new genus Aramus, which after Tem- 

 minck and other naturalists, we have adopted in the body of 

 our " Genera of North American Birds." In the analytical 

 table prefixed to that essay, the genus Aramus, should have 

 taken its place in the family Herodii, after Ardea, bearing 

 the number forty-six, (forty-five bis.) and thus carrying the 

 number of our genera to eighty-one. The family ought then 

 to be thus characterised. 



FAMILY HERODII. 



* Hind toe touching the ground only at tip. 



44. Grus. 



** Hind toe bearing on the ground with several joints. 



45. Ardea. Fore toes connected at base by a membrane. 



46. Aramus. Toes cleft to the base. 



As that part of our Synopsis has long been ready for pub- 

 lication, we omit any other details, our only object at present 

 being to have it well understood, that our Rallus giganteus, 

 is the Aramus scolopaceus, Vieill. 



SYNONYMS. 



Scolopax guarauna, L. Gmel. ?> Numenius americanus 

 fuscus, Briss ? Numenius guarauna, Lath ? 



