648 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — EEBODIONES— IBIUES. 



The group here noted corresponfls to tte Pelargomorpha; of Huxley, the Ciconiiformes of 

 GraiTod (minus CathartidcE I), the Grcdlatores aUinares of Suuclevall, and includes the Herodu:, 

 Pelargi, and Hemiglottides of Nitzsch, — respectively the Heron series, the StorJ; scries, and the 

 series of Ibises and Spoonbills. The first of these differs more from the others than these do 

 from one another. As usual, there are certain outlying genera, types of families or subfamilies, 

 the position of which is not assured. But appearances are that the questionable forms will 

 fall in one or another of the three series indicated. All of these series, to be conventionally 

 rated as suborders or superfamilies, are represented in North America, where also all the large 

 and leading families occur. 



12. Suborder IBIDES : The Ibis Series. 



Skull schizorhiaal. Angle of mandible produced and recurved. Ambiens muscle, femoro- 

 caudal and accessory, seinitendinosus and accessory, and post- acetabular portion of tensor fascife, 

 present ; pectoralis major simple ; biceps cubiti connected with tensor patagii longus. Sternum 

 double-notched on each side. Carotids double, normal. Two intestinal ececa. Tongue ex- 

 tremely small. A tufted oil-gland. Plumage without powder-do\^-n; feathered tracts broad. 

 Tarsi reticulate (rarely scutellate). Hallux not fairly insistent. Claws resting upon a horny 

 " shoe." Inner edge of middle claw not, or not fairly, pectinate. Side of upper mandible with 

 a deep narrow groove for its whole length ; bill otherwise very differently shaped in the two 

 families, IbididcE and PlataleidcB, of which this series consists. 



43. Family IBIDID^ : Ibises. 



Bill very long and slender, compressed-cylindric, curved throughout, deeply grooved 

 nearly or quite to tip, which is rather obtuse, not notched; end of culmen rather broad and 

 depressed, in the rest of its extent the culmen narrow and rounded ; interramal space narrow, 

 acute, produced nearly to tip of bill. (Whole bill thus closely resembling a Curlew's ; one of 

 our species is frequeutly called "Spanish Curlew.") Legs rather shcirt (for Herodiones) . 

 Claws compressed, acute; the middle maybe dilated and jagged, but is not fairly pectinate. 

 Hallux sub-insistent. Tarsi reticulate, or scutellate in front only. Anterior toes more or less 

 webbed at base. Pterylosis more or less completely stork-like, lacking the powder-down 

 tracts of Herons ; head more or less extensively denuded. Birds of medium and large size 

 (among Herodiones), long-legged, long-necked and small-bodied, with ample more or less 

 rounded wings, of which the inner quills are very large; tail very short, usually if not always 

 of 13 broad rectrices. Chiefly lacustrine and palustrine inhabitants of the warmer parts of the 

 globe, feeding on fish, reptiles, and other animals. The sexes are alike ; the young different. 

 There are about 24 species of Ibises, among which the minor details of form vary considerably, 

 nearly every one of them having been made type of some genus, according to shape of biU, 

 character of head-feathering, condition of tarsal envelope, etc. The two leading modifications 

 are, tarsus entirely reticulate, and tarsus scutellate in front ; our genera illustrate the latter. 



Obs. Our Wood " Ibis," so called, is a Stork. See beyond, p. 652. 



Analysis of Genera and Species. 

 Head bare on sides and beneath. Claws scarcely curved. Colors dark, metallic, greenisll and chestnut. 



Plegadis 252 



Face without white feathers in adult falcinelius 649 



Face surrounded by white feathers in adult guaraiiva 650 



Head extensively bare on front, sides, and beneath. Claws curved. Colors light, dull, red or white. 



ErDocmus 253 



Adults white allms 651 



Adults scarlet ' ruber 652 



