94 IBIDID^ IBIS 



Family IV. IBIDID^. 



Bill long and down-curved throughout, the sides somewhat eona- 

 pressed ; a longitudinal groove on each side, at the base of which 

 are the nostrils ; twelve rectrices. 



Anatomical characters are : — Seventeen cervical vertebrse ; skull 

 sohizorhinal ; angle of the mandible produced beyond its articu- 

 lation with the quadrate ; tongue very small ; the five garrodian 

 thigh muscles all present ; syrinx with the usual intrinsic muscles. 



Genus I. IBIS. 



Type. 

 Va\^,Lac6p., Mem. I'lnst. Paris, iii, p. 518 (1801) I. aethiopiea. 



Bill long, strong and down-curved throughout, about one and 

 a half times the length of the tarsus ; nostrils slit-like openings at 

 the basal end of a nasal groove which extends forward nearly to 

 the tip of the bill ; whole of the head and neck all round naked 

 in the adult ; wings rather short, the primaries and secondaries 

 about equal ; inner secondaries in the adult produced into orna- 

 mental plumes with a metallic gloss ; tail rather short, of twelve 

 feathers ; lower half of the tibia naked ; tarsus reticulated with 

 hexagonal scales all round ; toes with a basal web for about a 

 quarter of their length. 



Four species ranging throughout Africa, Southern Asia and the 

 Australian region are generally recognised. Only one of these is 

 found in South Africa. 



604. Ibis aethiopiea. Sacred Ibis. 



Tantalus aethiopicus, Lath., Ind. Orn. ii, p. 706 (1790). 



Numenius ibis, Cuv., Ann. du Mus. iv, p. 116, pis. 52-54 (1804). 



Ibis religiosa, Cuv. Begne Anim. i, p. 483 (1817) ; Kirl^, Ibis, 1864, p. 



334; Brijden, Gun and Camera, p. 408 (1893). 

 Threskiornis aethiopicus, Gurney, Ibis, 1860, p. 219, 1865, p. 275 [Natal] . 

 Gerontious aethiopicus, Layard, B. S. Afr, p. 820 (1867) ; Barratt, Ibis, 



1876, p. 211 ; Holub ^- Pelzeln, Orn. Sud-Afr. p. 292 (1882). 

 Ibis aithiopica, Gurney, Ibis, 1868, p. 259 ; P. L. Sclater, P. Z. S. 1870, 



p. 381, fig. 2 ; Gurney, in Andersson's B. Damaral. p. 297 (1872) ; 



Aijres, Ibis, 1874, p. 105 ; P. L. Sclater, Ibis, 1878, p. 449, pi. xii 



[young bird and egg] ; Butler, Fcihlen and Beed, Zool. 1882, p. 428 ; 



Shari>e, ed. Layard's B. S. Afr. p. 736 (1884) ; Symonds, Ibis, 1887, 



