EIDGWAY ON AMERICAN HEEODIONES. 249 



= CicomidcG, Scl. &, Salv. Nom. Neotr. 1873 (includes Tantalus). 



<^ Ciconidce, Lillj. P. Z. S. 1866, 15, 17 (includes " Giconinm ", " Plataleince" =:Plataleid€B, 



and " Tantalina; " = Ibididce -\- Tantalus). 

 = Pelargi, Nitzsch, Pterylog. 1833, 130 (includes Scoims, Ciconia, Anastomus and. Tan- 



ialus). 

 > Ciconiinw, Sundev. Meth, Nat. Av. Disp. Tent. 1872, 123. [<^ Pelargi.'\ 



Diagnosis. 



Large, Crane-like birds, with tbe bill much longer than the head, thick 

 through the base, and more or less elongate-conical ; the nostrils sub- 

 basal, more or less superior, and bored into the bony substance of the 

 bill, without overhanging or surrounding membrane; maxilla without 

 any lateral groove (extending forward from the nostril). L'^gs covered 

 with small, longitudinally-hexagonal scales; claws short, depressed, 

 their ends broad and convex, resting upon horny, crescentic "shoes"; 

 hallux with its base elevated decidedly above the base of the anterior 

 toes. 



The above characters are sufficient to define this family, which is more 

 intimately related to the true Ibises {Ibididce) and Spoonbills (Plata- 

 leidw) than to the Herons. (See page 221.) There are two well-marked 

 subfamilies, with the following characters : — 



CicONiiNJE. — Bill elongate-conical, acute, compressed, the end not 

 decurved. Nostrils rather lateral than superior. Toes very short, the 

 middle one much less than half the tarsus (only a little more than one- 

 third) ; lateral toes nearly equal ; claws short, broad, nail-like. 



Tantalina. — Bill elongated, subconical, subcylindrical, the end 

 attenuated and decurved, with the tip rounded ; nostrils decidedly 

 superior; toes long, the middle one one-half or more the length of the 

 tarsus ; lateral toes unequal, the outer decidedly longer than the inner; 

 claws moderately lengthened, rather narrow, claw-like. 



Subfamily CicoNim^. — The Storks. 



Synonymy. 



—Ciconmue, Gray, 1840; Handlist, iii. 1871, 34.— Boccard, Cat. Av. 1876, 52.— Bonap. 



Consp. ii. 1855, 104. 

 < Ciconiince, Sundev. Meth. Nat. Av. Disp. Tent. 1872, 123 (includes also Anastomus and 



Tantalus). 

 =Cicomnce, Lillj. P. Z. S. 1866, 17. 



Synopsis of the American Genera. 



EuxENURA. — Bill moderately large, its upper and lower outlines straight 

 throughout ; entire head and neck feathered, except the lores and a bare 

 strip along each side of the throat. Tail abbreviated and deeply forked, 

 the feathers very rigid, the lower tail-coverts elongated (extending beyond 

 the true tail), and stiffened, so as to resemble true rectrices! (Type, Ardea 

 maguari Gmel. = Cicoma maguari Anct. = My cteria americana, Linn.! I!) 



Mycteria.— Bill enormously large, the terminal half recurved. En- 

 tile head and neck naked, except a hairy, longitudinal patch on the 



