154 



BIRDS OF BRITISH GUIANA. 



all the birds in Guiana. The "Macusis" call it Warara and the 

 " Warraus " Ajaja. 



Mr. Barrington Brown (C^anoe and Camp Life, p. 205) writes 

 from the sand-beaches of the Takutu : — In the inlets off the sides 

 of the river, were flocks of beautiful Roseate S[)Oonbills (I^latalea 

 ajaja). 



Family CICONIID^. 



The members that compose this family are large birds with long 

 bills, long legs, and small feet, in proportion to the size of the 

 birds. Their distribution is in Asia, Africa, Australia, and 

 America. 



Genus MYCTERIA Lnm. 



Mijclrria Linne, Sj'st. Nat. lOtli cd. i. p. 140, 1758. Tjjie M, auiericana 

 Linn. 



This genus is chiefly distinguished l)y the shape of the bill, 

 which is decurved, somewhat rounded, blunt at the tip, and smooth 

 in texture : the head and neck are bar'^. 



Fig. -43. —To ilkistrate tlio shape of the bill. 



97. Mycteria americana. 



Wood Ibis. 



Mycteria americana Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 140, 1758 (Brazil) ; Bra- 

 bourne & Chubb, B. S. Amer. i. p. 48, no. 458, 1912. 



Tantalus loculator Cab. in Schomb. Reis. Guian. iii. p. 756, 1848 ; 

 Brown, Canoe and Camp Life, p. 104, 1876 (Eupununi River) ; 

 Salvin, Ibis, 1886, p. 171 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvi. p. 321, 

 1898 ; Beebe, Our Search for a Wilderness, pp. 353, 381, 1910 

 (Abary River). 



"iS^igger-heads^' {Qiielch), "Sowewies or Negrocopes '' {Brown)- 



