^4 MEXICAN IBIS. 



a whole which should seem to authorize us to class the 

 present under his adopted trivial denomination, igneus; 

 but not one of the most celebrated authors represent 

 America as the habitat of the Glossy Ibis. 



From Dr. Latham's account of the Tantalus Mexi- 

 canusy I have conjectured that this species is the same; 

 notwithstanding, I must confess that there is somewhat 

 in his description of the Brazilian Whimbrel, Aiwiefiius 

 Guarawia^ which likewise approximates to the present. 

 In this place a remark of Montagu is not unworthy of 

 note. '^ The Tantalus genus," says this intelligent natu- 

 ralist, *^has a long hind toe affixed to the heel; a com- 

 plete continuation of the foot ivv bearing on the ground 

 its whole length, in order to support the body." This 

 distinction between the* Numenius and Tantalus genera, 

 though omitted in the generic characters, is of importance, 

 inasmuch as errors have arisen in the classification of 

 these birds, when the bare space betvveen the bill and eyes 

 was so small as to occasion its being overlooked. 'I'he 

 hind toe of Curlews has its origin above the heel of the 

 foot. This distinction obtains, I believe, as far as our 

 discoveries extend. Although Bribson makes the /'. 

 igneus a Numenius, yet I can hardly suppose that the 

 accile Latham, if he described autopiically, would have 

 comm tted a like error with respect to his Brazilian 

 Whimbrel. The characters of the bird under review are 

 sufficiently strong to preclude doubt as to the genus to 

 which it belongs, although its face is not so naked as is 

 that of the Scarlet Ibis. 



In the following description I have aimed at perspicu- 

 ous dctciil, in order that those ornithologists who have 

 access to soecimens of the Tantali mentioned above 



