GRALL.E. 24i 



[Tl^.e Black Stork ( i. nigra, Lin.).— BlackWh, with rich punile reflections, and the belly white. It frequents 

 rctii-cd marshes, and builds in the forests. 



Among foreign species, we may distinguish 



The Adjutants [.^rya/a, Bonn.], — 

 Or l)are-necked Storks, the l)eak of which is still larger and slighter; and among them 



The Pouched Adjutants {Ard. diih'iu, Gmelin ; A. argnla, Lin.) ; which have an appendag:e under the middle of 

 the throat resemblini; a g-reat sausaf,^e, and from beneath the wings of which are procured those li^ht downy fea- 

 thers, that are made into tufts called Mahhous. Two specie? of them are known -, one from Senegal, with a 

 uniform mantle, iCic. marihoii, Tem.), the other from India, of which the win[^-coverts are bordered with white, 

 (C. anjala, Tem.).— Their large beak enables them to capture birds on the wing. Add C. capiUata, Tem. 



The Jabirus {Mycteria, Lin.), — 

 Which wore separated by Linnseus from Ardea, are very closely allied to the Storks, and much more 

 so than the latter are to the Herons; the moderate opening of their beak, their nostrils, the reticu- 

 lated envelope of their legs, together with the consideralde palmature of the toes, are absolutely the 

 same as in the Storks, which they further resemble in their mode of hfc. Tlicir pecidiarity consists in 

 having the beak slightly curved upwards towards its extremity. 



The best-known species (M. americona, Lin.), is vei-y large, and white, with a Ijare head and neck, invested with 

 a black skin, the lower part of whicli is red ; the occiput alone has some white feathers, and the beak and feet are 

 black. It is found alon^ the borders of pools and marshes in South America, where it preys on reptiles and fish. 

 The Ciconia ephippirynclia, Ruppell, only diflers from M, senegaletisis, Lathanj, in being drawn from the recent 

 Ep(.'cimen. 



The Umbb.es [Scojms, Brisson) — 

 Are only distinguished from the Storks by their compressed beak, the trenchant ridge of which is 

 inllated towards the base, and the nostrils are prolonged by a groove which runs parallel with the 

 ridge to its tip, which is slightly hooked. 



<.)ne specifs only is known, the Crested Urabre {Sc. umhreita), as large as a Crow, and of an umber colour, the 

 niale crested. It is diffused over all Africa. 



The Anastomes {Hians, Lacep. ; AnaHlomu.s, Ihig-) — 

 Are sepaiatcd from the Storks by about as trivial a character as that which distinguislics the Jabirus. 

 The mandibles of their beak come in contact only at the base and tips, leaving a wide interval 

 between tlieir edges, at the medial portion. Even this seems to be the result of detrition, for the 

 fibres of the horny substance appear as though it had been worn away. 



They are East Indian birds, one of whicli is whitish (Ardea ponCu-eriana, Gm.), the other g:reyi,5h-browu 

 {A. coromandeliaiia, Sonnerat). Perhaps the latter is merely the young of the former. Both have black quid and 

 tail-feathers. A third, of an iridescent black [An. lamelliger, Tem.), is remarkable for the stem of each of its fea- 

 thers terniinatiii^ in a narrow horny disk, which pasi^es beyond the vane. 



The Dromes (Dromas, PaykuU) — 

 Bear a close resemblance to the preceding, having nearly the same feet and contour; hut their com- 

 pressed beak, the base of which is a little inflated beneath, is pierced with oval nostrils, and the 

 mandibles close completely. 



We know only one species, from the shores of the Red Sea and banks of the Senegal (Dromas ardeolo, Payk.) 

 with white plumage, and purt of the mantle and wings black. 



The Tantals {Tantalus, Lin.) — 

 Have the feet, nostrils, and beak of the Storks, except that the ridge of the latter is rounded, and its 

 tip gradually curved downwards, and slightly emarginated on each side : a portion of the head, and 

 sometimes of the neck, is bare of feathers. 



The TVood Ibis of North America (T. loculator, Lin.). — As large as a Stork, but more slender ; white, with the 

 quill and tail-feathers black, as is also the naked skin of the head and neck. It is found in both Americas, 

 appearing in each daring the rainy season, and frequents muddy wafers, where it seeks principally for Eels. Ifb 

 gait is slow, and general aspect unlively. 



The African species (7". ibisy Lin.), which is white, slightly shaded with purple on the wings, and has a yellow 

 beak, and the naked skin of the visage red, was long regarded by naturalists as the bird so revered by the ancient 

 Egyptians under the name of lO/x; but recent researches have proved that tiie real Ibis is a much smaller species, 

 which we will notice presently. The bird now under consideration is not even conmjonly found in Eg^ypt, but is 

 brought chiefly from Senegal. 



