CEKCIBIS. 149 



Genus CERCIBIS Wngl. 



Cercihis Wagler, Isis, 18-32, p. 1232. Type C. oxyctrcus (Spix). 



Head moderately crested ; tail long, more than half tlie leno-tL 

 o£ the wing ; lores, region of eye, and tlu'oat bare ; anterior 

 portion of tarsus transversely scaled. 



1)4. Cerci"bis oxycercus. 



Sharp-tailed Ibis. 



Ctrcihis oxycercus (Spix), Av. Bras. ii. p. G9, pi. Ixxxvii., 1825 ("in 

 provincia Para ") ; Salvia, Ibis, 1886, p. 171 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. 

 Mus. XX vi. p. 28, 1898 (Rupuniini River, Aunai) ; Brabourne & 

 Chubb, B. S. Amer. i. p. 48, no. 452, 1912. 



Ihis oxycercus Cab. in Schomb. Beis. Guian. iii. p. 756, 1848. 



Adult male. General colour above bluish black -with ])ui'ple 

 reflections more strongly pronounced on the hind-neck ; forehead 

 and sides of the face whitish brown ; entire under surface dull 

 black with rust-brown margins to some of the feathers. 



Total length 825 mm., culmen 1G2, wing 410, tail 2G5, 

 tarsus 78. 



Adult female. Similar to the adult male. Wing 403 mm. 



The birds from which the descriptions are taken were collected 

 on the Great Savanna, Rupununi River, October 17, 1900, by 

 Mr. J. J. Quelch. 



Breedhuj-season. Unknown in British Gniana. 



JSest. Unrecorded in British Guiana. 



J^ggs. Undescribed from British Guiana. 



liange in British Guiana. Rupununi River (McConnell col- 

 lection)', Annul {W/iitely). 



J^.iiralimilal Range. North Brazil, C*olombia. 



Habits. Schoinburgk remarks (Reis. Guian. iii. p. 757) : — This 

 species is found in pairs, and I have oidy observed it in the 

 vicinity o£ Tenette on the Tukutu River. (Cfr. vol. ii. p. 48.) 

 Every morning we heard the jtiercing cry of this bird, which is 

 like tah-rong. Tlie colour of the cere and ring round the eye is 

 orance-red. 



