9l Mathews, Ibis Lacepcde and Egatheus BiUberg. [jan. 



ON THE GENERIC NAMES IBIS LACEPEDE, AND EGA- 

 THEUS BILLBERG. 



B"V GREGORY M. MATHEWS, F. R. S. (Edm.). 



When Lonnberg (Journ. fur Ornith., 1906, pp. 53] 533) intro- 

 duced Billberg's work to the notice of twentieth century Ornitholo- 

 gists, he showed Egatheus Billberg, L828 was equivalent and anterior 

 to Plegadis kaup. L829 and should therefore replace the latter. 



Fora time this was accepted, Inn when Richmond examined the 

 work he recorded (Proc. V. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. XXXV, p. 007, L908) 

 that Egatheus on tab. A. was a '* New name for Ibis Lacepede (used 

 for Tantalus falcinellus on p. 158)", witha footnote quotation giving 

 Billberg's reasonforits introduction: " Dissentientibus auctoribus, 

 qiKenam esset Egyptiorum Ibis; hoe aomen avis in historia insignis 

 jnstins nt specificum conservari credidimus, adeoque Egatheum a 

 grseco rj7at?€os, sacer, pratulimus." 



Consequently, Plegadis Kaup was continued for P. falcinellus by 

 American ornithologists (A. 0. U. Check-List, 3rd Ed., p. 92, 

 L910). 



When 1 made tip my ' Reference I.ist ' 1 was not satisfied as to 

 the rights of the eases and allowed the use of Egatheus Billberg 

 until such time as 1 should have occasion to monograph the birds 

 in my ' Birds of Australia.' 



However, under date Oet. 3rd, 1912, my friend Dr. (has. W. 

 Richmond wrote me as follows: " Egatheus will never do in place of 

 Plegadis Kaup 1329. Billberg used Egatheus as a classical substi- 

 tute name for Ibis Lacepede. The name occurs on table A, which 

 is (with tables 1> & C) designated at the bottom as 'ante pag. 1." so 

 the contents o( the tables are to he dealt with before the body of the 

 work. Billberg did not intend to separate Egatheus from Ibis, 

 but in the body of the work (p. L58, not 166) he only had theGlossy 

 Ibis to deal with and called it Egatheus, because Ibis was not elassi- 

 eal." This was followed by a letter dated Oet. 5th, 1912: "I 

 think a further note on the subject oi Ibis Lacepede may be of 

 interest to you. iuasnmeh as what 1 wrote you about Egatheus did 

 not cover the whole ease. 1 am not able at this moment to elear 



