VERTEBRATA : AVES. 6ll 



The Ibises (Tantalince] form a group of beautiful birds, 

 species of which occur in all the warm countries of the world. 

 They are distinguished by their metallic colours, long, cylin- 

 drical, curved bill, and more or less naked head. One, the 

 Ibis religiosa, was regarded by the ancient Egyptians as a deity, 

 and was treated with divine honours, being often embalmed 

 along with their mummies, or figured on their monuments. 



The Storks (CiconiruB) are large birds, of which one, the 

 common Stork (Ciconia alba), is rarely found in Britain, but 

 occurs commonly on the Continent, where it is often semi- 

 domesticated. The Storks live in marshes, and feed on frogs, 

 fishes, &c. Nearly related to the true Storks are the gigantic 

 Marabout (Mycteria Marabou) and Adjutant (M. Argala] of 

 Africa and India, which possess a sausage-shaped appendage 

 in front of the neck. 



The Spoonbills (Plataleadce) are also large birds, very like 

 the Storks, but the bill is flattened out so as to form a broad 

 spoon -like plate. The common White Spoonbill (Platalea 

 leucorodid] is found commonly on the Continent, but is of very 

 rare occurrence in Britain. 



Fam. 3. Longirostres. The third family of Waders is that 

 of the Longirostres, characterised by the possession of long, 

 slender, soft bills, grooved for the perforations of the nostrils 

 (fig- S3 6 , B). The legs are sometimes rather short, sometimes 

 of great length; the toes are of moderate length, and the 

 hallux is usually short, and is sometimes absent. The bill in 

 these birds serves as an organ of touch, being used as a kind 

 of probe to feel for food in mud or marshy soil. To fulfil this 

 purpose, the tip of the bill is furnished with numerous filaments 

 of the fifth nerve. They feed mostly upon insects and worms, 

 and are not strictly aquatic in their habits, mostly frequenting 

 marshy districts, moors, fens, the banks of rivers or lakes, or 

 the shores of the sea. 



In this family of the Long-billed Waders are the various 

 species of Snipe and Woodcock (Scolopaddce), the Sandpipers 

 (Triuga), the Curlews (Numenius), the Turnstones (Strepsilas\ 

 the Ruffs (Machetes), the Redshanks (Totanus), the Godwits 

 (Limosa), and others which need no special notice. 



Fam. 4. Pressirostres. The members of this family are 

 characterised by the moderate length of the bill, which is 

 seldom longer than the head, and has a compressed tip. The 

 legs are long, but the toes are short, and are almost always 

 partially connected together at their bases by membrane. The 

 hallux is short, and is often wanting. The wings are long, and 

 they can both fly powerfully and run with great swiftness. In 



