248 BULLETIN UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



the middle toe), much compressed anteriorly, the lower outline nearly- 

 straight, the upper straight for the basal two-thirds, the terminal por- 

 tion gently carved ; basal half of the culmen forming a distinct keel, 

 Avith nearly vertical sides, the nasal fossae of uuusaal depth and length; 

 upper tomium gently concave anteriorly. Mental apex a little less 

 than half-way from the centre of the eye to the point of the bill, and 

 about even with the anterior end of the nostril ; malar apex a little pos- 

 terior to the frontal one. Tarsus slender, about one- third longer than 

 the middle toe, the front with regular transverse scutellse. Outer toe 

 longer than the inner, and reaching almost to the terminal joint of the 

 middle toe; hallux nearly half as long as the middle toe ; bare portion 

 of tibia a little shorter than the inner toe; claws small (except the 

 hinder one), raoderatelj'^ curved, and acute. First and fourth primaries 

 nearly equal and longest; outer three with their inner webs very faintly 

 sinuated near their ends. Tail moderate, even, of twelve moderately 

 hard, broad feathers. !No dorsal, scapular, or jugular plumes, but 

 feathers of the lower neck much developed, broad, round-ended, and 

 rather loose-webbed. Nuchal feathers narrow, and forming a sort of 

 loose mane; occiput with a crest of six or more narrow, rather stiff, and 

 slightly recurved flat plumes, the two largest about as long as the tar- 

 sus, the rest successively graduated in length. 



Affinities. — The nearest ally of this genus is probably NyctJierodiuSj 

 which agrees quite closely in the proi)ortions of the feet, and, to a certain 

 extent, in the character of the plumage, particularly the occipital crest. 

 Even in these particulars, however, it is very distinct, while in other re- 

 spects the two are exceedingly dift'erent. The bill is somewhat like that 

 of Wyctiardea, but is very much smaller and more slender, and is other- 

 wise different. Ui)on the whole, it is a very strongly-characterized 

 genus, without a very near relative in America, and, so far as I have 

 been able to discover, in any portion of the Old World. 



Synopsis of tee American Subfamilies and Genera op 



ClCONIID^.* 



Synonymy. 



<; Ardeidw, Vigors, 1825, et Axict. antiq. 

 = (f) CiconiidcG, Selys, Fauna Belg. 1»42. 



> Civordidw, Bonap. Consp. ii. 1855, 104 (excludes Tantalus). — Gray, Handlist, iii. 1871, 

 34 (do.).— Boucard, Catal. Av. 1876, 52 (do.)- 



* I have hesitated somewhat yrhether to employ, as the family-name for the Storks 

 and their near relatives the Wood Ibises, the term Ciconiidce or that of Tantalidce; the 

 latter has decided priority (1831 instead of 1842), but is objectionable on account of 

 having been originally bestowed upon a non-typical group, while it has most often been 

 employed in a wider sense, including, besides the Wood Ibises, the Ibises proper 

 (Ibididce). Its adoption in the present case would, therefore, lead to confusion. As to 

 the term Ciconiidce, there is far less objection : it has always been used specially for the 

 true Storks, and, although not always including the Wood Ibises, has been employed 

 in this wider and proper sense by many authors. 1 therefore conclude to retain the 

 term CiconiidcB as the family designation of the present group. 



