GRALLATORI^E. 149 



CANCROMA, Linnaus. 



The Boat-bill) which would closely approach the herons in the strength of 

 the beak and in the regimen resulting therefrom, but for the extraordinary 

 form of that organ, which we shall find, however, by close examination, to be 

 nothing more than the beak of a heron or bittern, very much flattened. In 

 fact, it is very wide from right to left, and is formed like two spoons, the 

 concave sides of which are placed in contact. The mandibles are strong and 

 trenchant, the upper one having a sharp tooth on each side of its point ; the 

 nostrils, situated near its base, are continued on in two parallel grooves to near 

 the point. There are four toes to the feet, long, and almost without membranes ; 

 and accordingly we find that these birds perch upon trees on the banks of 

 rivers, whence they precipitate themselves upon the fish, which constitute 

 their customary food. Their gait is slow, and in their attitudes they resemble 

 the herons. The species known is 



Career, cochlearia, Lin. (The Boat-bill.) Size of a hen ; whitish, grey, 

 or brown back ; red belly ; a white forehead, followed by a black calotte, 

 which, in the adult male, is changed into a long tuft : inhabits the hot and 

 marshy parts of South America. 



Then come 



ARDEA, Cuvier, 



Or the Herons, the cleft of whose beak extends to beneath the eyes, a small 

 nasal fossa continuing on in a groove close to its point. They are also distin- 

 guished by the internal edge of the nail of the middle toe, which is trenchant 

 and denticulated. Their legs are scutellated ; the thumb and toes tolerably 

 long, the external web considerable, and the eyes placed in a naked skin which 

 extends to the beak. They are melancholy birds, which build and perch on 

 the banks of rivers, where they destroy great numbers of fish. 



The True Herons have a very slender neck, ornamented below with long 

 pendent feathers. 



The name of CRABEATEBS (Crabiers) has been applied to the smallest 

 Herons, with shorter feet. 



The feathers on the neck of the BITTERNS are loose and separated, which 

 increases its apparent size. They are usually spotted or striped. 



The adult NIGHT -HERON, with the port of the Bitterns, and a beak propor- 

 tionally thicker, has a few slender feathers on the occiput. 



The third tribe, besides having a thicker and smoother beak than is found 

 in the second, has tolerably strong and almost equal membranes between the 

 base of the toes. 



CICONIA, Cuvier. 



The Storks have a thick beak, moderately cleft ; no fossae or grooves ; the 

 nostrils pierced towards the back and near the base ; an extremely short tongue. 

 Their legs are reticulated, and the anterior toes strongly palmated at base, 

 particularly the external ones, the light and broad mandibles of their beak, 



