480 MR. D. G. ELLIOT ON THE IBIDINiE. [June 5, 



Hagedashia, Comatibis, Geronticus, Inocotis, and Lophotibis, all 

 possessing one species each, excepting the second named, which has 

 two. The division Phimosse has Molijbdophanes, Tfteristicus, 

 Harpiprion, Cercibis, and Phimosus, each with one species, save the 

 second, which has two, only one of which is valid. The second 

 subfamily, Eudociminee, contains Eudocimus, with three species, two 

 only of which are valid, and Falcinellus with six, one of which alone 

 is good. Constituting two subfamilies for this group of birds is 

 practically unnecessary ; and several of the so-called species are 

 founded upon immature specimens. The genera employed, however, 

 are apparently required, unless all these birds should be retained 

 under one genus, which does not seem to be advisable in view of the 

 many and important differences exhibited by the various species. 

 Species 21. 



1870. SwiNHOE, 'Proceedingsof the Zoological Society of Loudon.' 

 Ibis melanocephala described as Ibis propinqua. 



18/4. RiDGWAY, 'American Naturalist.' 



Falcinellus thalassinus described as Ibis thalassina. Species 22. 



1875. Hume, ' Stray Feathers.' 



Graptocephalus davisoni described as Geronticus davisoni. 

 Species 23. 



1876. Allen, ' Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Anatomy 

 of Cambridge.' 



Falcinellus ridgwayi described. Species 24. 



1877- Oustalet, ' Bulletin de la Societe Philomatique de Paris.' 

 Thaumatibis gigantea described as Ibis gigantea, and Grapto- 

 cephalus davisoni described as Ibis davisoni. Species 25. 



Classification. 



The birds composing the groups treated of in this paper are inter- 

 mediate between the Tantali on the one hand and the Numenii on 

 the other. They are removed from the Herons by several impor- 

 tant characters, such as the possession of a small, muscular stomach, 

 very long and slender intestine, and small caeca, in contradistinc- 

 tion to the large membranous stomach, very long and slender 

 intestine, and absence of caeca of the Herons. With the Spoon- 

 bills they are very closely allied, these last being " Ibises with 

 the bill flattened and expanded towards the extremity." These 

 two groups, then. Ibis and Platalea, I consider as forming two 

 subfamilies of one family, for which, in consideration of the for- 

 mer being much the larger and more important in regard to the 

 number of its species, I adopt the term Ibididae, the subfamihes 

 being called respectively Ibidinae and Plataleinae. To the first of 

 these divisions this paper is restricted. Numerous genera have been 

 instituted for the reception of the various species ; and I have adopted 

 a considerable proportion of them. Either all the species must be 



