360 PLATALE^. 



In the Herocliones the skull is desmognathous, and basipterygoid 

 processes are wanting. The nostrils are pervious. There are 

 two carotids ; the caeca are rudimentary ; the oil-gland is tufted ; 

 and the wing aquincubital. Plantar tendons galline as a rule, 

 but the vineuluin in some Herons and Bitterns is weak or 

 absent, so that the flexor longus hallacis passes freely to the 

 hallux, as in Passeres. Other anatomical characters vary in the 

 different suborders. An aftershaft is generally present, but is 

 wanting in some Storks. 



The tibia, except in a few Herons, is partially bare, the toes 

 long, the hind-toe well-developed and not raised above the other 

 toes. Almost all the genera make nests of sticks in trees, 

 and the young remain in the nest for a time and are fed by the 

 parents. 



The Indian Herodiones may be arranged in three suborders thus 

 distinguished : 



a. Schizorhinal; accessory femoro-caudal present ; 



sternum with four posterior incisions ; 



syririgeal muscles present PLATALE^. 



b. Holorhinal; no accessory femoro-caudal; 



sternum with two posterior incisions. 

 a. No intrinsic muscles to syrinx ; dorsal 



apterium not extending to neck CICONI^E. 



6'. A pair of intrinsic muscles to syrinx : 



dorsal apterium extending up back of 



neck . 



Suborder PLATALE^E. 



The members of this suborder are schizorhinal (see p. 202), an 

 exceptional character amongst desmognathous birds, and the 

 posterior portion of the mandible is prolonged behind the quadrate, 

 as in Anseres, and recurved. In the sternum there are two 

 incisions on each side of the posterior border. Cervical vertebrie 

 17. All the muscles of the thigh present, including the accessory 

 femoro-caudal, which is wanting in Storks and Herons. A pair of 

 intrinsic syringeal (tracheo-bronchial) muscles present as in 

 Ardese*. 



This suborder comprises tw r o families : 



a. Bill curved downwards Ibididae, p. 361. 



b. Bill straight, flattened, dilated at the end Plataleidae, p. 366. 



* 1 am indebted to Mr. F. E. Beddard for this information. The muscles 

 are usually stated to be wanting in the Ibises and Spoonbills, but were observed 

 by Garrod in Platalea ajaja (P. Z. S. 1875, p. 299). 



