62 BIRD GALLERY. 



the. Hammer-head, and. may thus always be distinguished on the wing 

 from Herons. Many of the species are migratory, the common White 

 Stork being a summer visitor to Europe, where it is carefully protected 

 and encouraged to build its nests on the houses aud in the gardens. 



A very large and striking species is the Saddle-billed Stork {Ephippio- 

 rhynchus senegalensis) (659), which inhabits Tropical Africa j and no 

 less handsome in their way are the Black-necked Jabiru {Xenorhyn- 

 chus) (660) and its American ally {Mycteria) (661). The Open-billed 

 or Shell-Storks (Anastomus) (664, 665) are remarkable for their nut- 

 cracker-like bill, so well adapted for breaking open molluscs, which 

 form their principal food. The peculiar gap in the bill is not seen in 

 the young, but seems to develop as the birds get older. 



Passing over the White-necked Stork [Dissura microscelis) (663), with 

 its curiously deeply-forked tail, and the White-bellied Stork {Abdimia 

 abdimii) (662), which looks like a miniature Black Stork, we come last 

 [Case 35.^ to the Wood-Ibises, a somewhat isolated group, of which an example 

 will be found in the beautiful African species (Pseudotantalus ibis) 

 (666), with its striking white, black, and dull crimson plumage. 



Family V. IbididjE. Ibises. 



[Case 35.] The Ibises are numerously represented, and all may be readily dis- 

 tinguished from their near allies the Spoonbills and from the Storks 

 by the long, curved, "Curlew-like " bill, with the nasal groove extending 

 nearly to the extremity. The White and Scarlet Ibises, belonging to 

 the genus Eudocimus (667, 668), are striking American species, espe- 

 cially the latter. The Glossy Ibis {Plegadis falcinellus) (669) is of 

 special interest, having visited Great Britain on many occasions ; and 

 other striking forms will be found in the crested Madagascar genus 

 (Lophotibis) (671), the African Hadadah Ibis [Hagedashia) (675), the 

 Wattled Ibis [Bostrychia) (674), and the curious straw-necked Australian 

 form [Carphibis) (677). The most interesting of all is, howevei', the 

 Sacred Ibis {Ibis aethiopica) (678), which was regarded with great 

 veneration by the ancient Egyptians, as is shown by the many mummies 

 of these birds found in the temples. 



Family VI. Plataleid/e. Spoonbills. 



rOase 36 I '^^'^ Spoonbills, represented by three genera and several species, are 

 at once distinguished from all the other long-legged Storks and Herons 

 by their remarkably shaped flattened bill. One of the handsomest is 

 the Roseate Spoonbill of America (AJaJa) (679), and another striking 

 bird is the Australian ally (Piatibis) (680) ; but the most familiar is 

 the common species {Platalea leuceradia) (682), which once bred 



