GRALLATORLE, — 375 
Pas 
thinner and more cleft than that of the Grane, is inflated near 
the last third of its length, and whose toes, all tolerably long, 
are without any intervening membrane whatever. It has the 
habits, and is the size of a Heron; the plumage i is brown, with 
two white pencils on the neck. 
Ard. helias, L.;* Le Caurale earned Illig. )3(1) Oiseau de 
soleil, &c. Enl. 702. (The Sun-Bird.) ‘The commissure of its 
bill, which is more slender than that’of the Cranes, but fur- 
nished with similar nasal fossz, extends to beneath the eyes, 
like that of the Herons, but the beak itself is destitute of the 
naked skin atits base. Itis about the size of a Partridge, and 
its long slender neck, bredd and open tail, and rather short legs 
giveita very different appearance from that of any other Wader. 
Its plumage shaded in bands and lines with brown, fawn-colour, 
red, grey and black, recalls to our minds the colouring of the 
most beautiful of the nocturnal Lepidoptera. It is found on 
the banks of the rivers in Guiana. 
The second tribe is more carniyorous, and is known by its 
stronger beak and larger toes: we may place at its head, 
. CAncroma, isa, 
The Boat-bills, which would | closely approach the Herons in the 
strength of their beak and in the regimen resulting therefrom, but 
for t the extraordinary form of that organ, which we shall find, how- 
eyer, by close ‘examination, to be nothing more than the beak of a 
Heton 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 trench- 
ant, the upper one having a sharp tooth on each side of its points’ 
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, 
Cancr. cochlearia, L.3 Enl. 38 and 369; Vieill. Gal. pl. 249. 
(The Boat-bill.) Size of a hen; whitish; grey or brown back; 
red belly; a white forehead, followed by a black calotte, which, 
(1) Vieillot has changed this name into that of Helias. 
