86 ALTRICIAL GRALLATORES — IIERODIOXES. 



species, not including several of doubtful validity, or about one third of those known). 

 Of tlie exotic species, Africa possesses about nine (two of them in common with 

 Southern Europe), Asia five, and Australia two. A very great diversity of form and 

 plumage is to be seen among the various species, some being trim and graceful in 

 their build, and others uncouth, with Vulture-like head and neck — some plain in 

 colors, while others are among the most brilliant of birds. The scarlet plumage of 

 Eiulocbnus rnber is not surpassed in nature for pureness and intensity of color, and 

 the beautiful decomposed tertial plumes of Ibis a-tJu'opicus are scarcely excelled in 

 gracefulness. The species of Molyhdophunes, Thcristkus, and Ccrcihis, however, 

 j)ossess but little beauty. 



The family is divisil)le into two well-detined sections, ■which may be termed sub- 

 families, distinguished mainly by the character of the tarsal scutellation. They may 

 be defined as follows : — 



Sub-family Ibidinae. Vioiit of the tarsus covered with hexagonal scales. 



Sub-family Eudocimiiiae. Front of the tarsus with large, transverse scutella;, arranged in a more 

 or less cuiitiuuous single series. 



Both the above sub-families are represented in America, but only the latter in the 

 northern continent. Tlu^ North American genera may be recognized by the follow- 

 ing (diaracters : — 



Sue-family EUDOriMIN.E.i — The Ibises. 



Eudocimus. Head of adult wholly naked anteriorly. Feather.s of the pilcuin short, close, and 

 Meniled, and those of the neck not distinctly lanceolate. Colors plain white or red, with black 

 wiiin-tips, in adults, dull gray and white in young. 



Plegadis. Head of adult wholly feathered, except the lores ; feathers of the pileum distinctly 

 lanceolate and slightly elongated, fornung a slightly rounded crest when erected. Colors 

 highly metallic, of vai-ied tints ; in adult, metallic greenibh, bronze or purple above, plain 

 brown beneath, in young. 



Genus EUDOCIMUS, Wagler.^ 



Eudocimus, Wagl. Isis, 18.'5'2, r2.32 (type, Tinilii/iis ruber, LiNX.). 

 Gitara, " JoAX i)E LXirr.," Reiciie.nb. Handb. 1851, p. .\iv (same type). 

 " Parihis, Geoffeoy." 

 Lcucihis, Ueichenb. Hamlb. 1S51, p. xiv (type, Tantalus albcr, Linn.). 



Gen. Char. — Bill moderately slender, attenuated toward the end, strongly decurved ; bare 

 portion of the tibia equal to or rather shorter than the outer toe ; noddle toe, with claw, shorter 

 than the tarsus ; inner toe (without claw) reaching to or a little beyond the subterininal articula- 

 tion of the middle toe ; outer toe reaching to or beyond the middle of the suljterminal phalanx of 

 the miildle toe ; hallux about equal to the basal jihalanx of the inner toe; claws short, moderately 

 curved, that of the middle toe more or less bent outwardly toward the tip, its inner projecting 



J For a more comprehensive account of the liiids of this family, the reader is referred to the following 

 special papers : — 



(1) licview of the Ib/cUtiw, or Sub-family of llie Uiivs, by D. G. Elliot, F.R.S.E., etc., in Froc. Zool. 

 See, London, 1877, pp. 477-510. 



(2) Sijstcvmtisclie Vchcrsiekl drr Schrcitrik/r! {Orcssorcs), etc., von Dr. Ant. Feichenow, in Jour, fiir 

 Ora., 1877 (the Ibises on ]ip. 143-146). 



2 Cf. Elliot, P. Z. S. 1877, 482 ; Scl. & 8alv., Ibis, Oct. 1878, 449, foot-note. The latter say : 

 " Ibis was applied by Savigny in 1810 to the Sacred Ibis, before Vieillot used it for the former group 

 [i. e. J. alba and /. rubra], for which, consequently, Eudocimus of Wagler is the correct term." 



