SCOPID^l SCOPUS 51 



Family II. SCOPID^L 



The external characters of the family will be found under the 

 description of the unique genus ; in its anatomical characters it is 

 somewhat intermediate between the Storks and Herons. The 

 cervical vertebras are sixteen in number ; the syrinx is typical and 

 provided with intrinsic muscles; there are no powder-down patches; 

 the hind toe is on the same plane as the others; of the five Garrodian 

 thigh muscles, the femorocaudal, semitendinosus and accessory 

 semitendinosus alone are present. 



Genus I. SCOPUS. 



Type. 

 Scopus GmeL, Syst. Nat. i, p. 618 (1788) ............... S. umbretta. 



Bill stout and strong, the culmen narrow and ridged, with the 

 nasal groove extending along its whole length ; the line of the 

 culmen straight, decurved only at the tip ; lores fully feathered ; 

 ten primaries, twelve tail feathers ; lower half of the tibia bare of 

 feathers ; tarsus longer than the middle toe and claw, covered with 

 hexagonal scales ; a well developed basal web between the three 

 front toes, that between the middle and outer toe largest ; claw of 

 the middle toe pectinated on the inner side. 



Only one species is known, spread over the whole of the 

 Ethiopian region, including Southern Arabia and Madagascar. 



e/u/7, 

 584. Scopus umbretta. Hammer kop. 



Scopus umbretta, GmeL, Syst. Nat. i, p. 618 (1788) ; Grill, K. Vet. 

 Akad. Handl. Stockh. ii, no. 10, p. 55 (1858) [Knysna]; Gurney, 

 Ibis, 1859, p. 248 [Natal] ; Kirk, Ibis, 1864, p. 333 ; Layard, B. S. 

 Afr. p. 312 (1867) ; Ayres, Ibis, 1871, p. 265, 1880, p. 26; Gurney, 

 in Anderssoris B. Damaral. p. 294 (1872) ; Buckley, Ibis, 1874, p. 

 389 ; Shelley, Ibis, 1875, p. 86 ; Oates, Matabeleland, p. 327 (1881) ; 

 Holub fr Pelzeln, Orn. Sild-Afr. p. 277 (with figs, of head, nest and 

 skeleton) (1882) ; Shelley, Ibis, 1882, p. 364 [Mashonaland] ; Butler, 

 Feilden fr Reid, Zool. 1882, p. 344 ; Sharpe, ed. Layard' s B. S. Afr. 

 p. 725 (1885) ; Fleck, Journ. Ornith. 1894, p. 387 ; Shelley, B. Afr. i, 

 p. 159 (1896) ; Rendall, Ibis, 1896, p. 176 ; Woodward Bros., Ibis, 

 1897, p. 415 ; id. Natal B. p. 199 (1899) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xxvi ; 

 p. 288 (1898) ; Marshall, Ibis, 1900, p. 267 ; Alexander, Ibis, 1900, 

 p. 441 ; Haagner, Ibis, 1901, p. 193, 1902, pp. 574, 581 ; Harris, Essays 



