340 BIRDS. 



FAMILY IV. 



LOXGIROSTRES. 



This family is composed of a multitude of Waders, most of which were 

 included in the genus Scolopax of Linnaus, and the remainder confound- 

 ed in that of his Tringa, though partly in opposition to the character of 

 this genus, which consists in a thumb too short to reach the ground. A 

 small number were placed among the Plovers on account of the total ab- 

 sence of a thumb. All these birds have nearly the same form, the same 

 habits, and frequently even the same distribution of colours, which ren- 

 der them very difficult of being distinguished one from another. Their 

 general character is a long, slender, and weak bill, the use of which is 

 restricted to searching in the mud for worms and insects ; the different 

 gradations in the form of this bill serve to divide them into genera and 

 subgenera. 



According to his own principles, Linnasus should have united most of 

 these birds in the great genus 



Scolopax, Lin. 



Which we shall divide as follows, according to the variation in the form 

 of the bill*. The 



Ibis, Cuv. 



The Ibis, which have been separated by us from the Tantalus of 

 Gmelin, because their bill, though arcuated like that of Tantalus, is much 

 weaker, and has no emargination near its point; the nostrils also, perfo- 

 rated near the back of its base, are severally prolonged in a groove, which 

 extends to the end. Besides, this bill is tolerably thick and almost square 

 at the base, and some part of the head or even of the neck is always des- 

 titute of feathers. The external toes are considerably palmated at the 

 base, and the thumb is sufficiently large to bear upnn the ground. 



Some of them have short and reticulated legs ; they are usually 

 the stoutest, and have the largest bill. 



Ibis relii/iosa, Nob. ; Ahou-Hannes, Bruce, It., pi. 35 ; Tantalus 

 cethiopicus, Lath. ; L'adulta, Cuv., Oi>s. Foss. torn. I, and the young, 

 Savign.Descript. de lEgypte, Hist. Nat. des Ois., pi. 7, (The Sacred 

 Ibis), is the most celebrated species. It Avas reared in the temples 

 of ancient Egypt, with a degree of respect bordering on adoration; 



• This is another of these distinctions and names borrowed by Vieill. (Gal. 246) 

 without any acknowledgment, althjiugh my 7nemoir upon the Ibis, in which I esta- 

 blish it, is dated fifteen years prio/ to any of his writings upon birds. 



