T  ANT  AUN.K. 
Iius  Mcehr.* 
Bill  lengthened,  slender,  and  curved  throughout  its  length;  the  sides  compressed  to  the  tip,  which  is 
obtuse ;  the  nostrils  lateral,  basal,  and  placed  in  a  slender  groove  that  extends  from  the  base  to  the  tip, 
with  the  opening  linear  and  exposed.  Wings  rather  long,  and  pointed;  with  the  first  and  second  quills 
equal  and  longest.  Tail  rather  short,  and  nearly  even.  Tarsi  slender,  and  longer  than  the  middle  toe ; 
covered  in  front  with  broad  transverse  scales,  some  of  which  are  divided  irregularly.  Toes  long  and 
Blender  ;  the  inner  rather  shorter  than  the  outer,  and  both  united  at  the  base  by  a  membrane  ;  the  hind 
toe  long  and  slender ;  the  claws  long  and  rather  weak.    The  head  is  partly  denuded  of  plumes. 
The  species  that  compose  this  division  arc  found  in  the  warmer  parts  of  Europe,  Asia,  and  America.  They  regularly 
perform  periodical  migrations  at  the  changes  of  season,  and  are  generally  seen  on  land  which  has  been  recently 
inundated,  or  on  the  banks  of  rivers  and  lakes,  seeking  worms,  various  kinds  of  insects,  and  the  roots  of  various  bulbous 
plants.  Some  species  also  frequent  the  sea  coast,  where  they  procure  the  fry  of  fish  from  the  sea,  as  the  waves  retire 
from  the  shore,  and  also  crayfish,  whose  cells  they  probe,  and  with  their  long  bills  drag  them  out  to  feed  on.  The  nest 
is  formed  of  leaves  on  the  ground,  wherein  the  female  deposits  her  eggs. 
1.  L  rubra  (Linn.)  PI.  enl.  80,  81.,  Cates.  Carol,  pi.  84.,  Wils. 
Amcr.  Om.  pi.  66.  f.  2. — 'Tantalus  fuscus  Linn.  Cates.  Carol,  pi. 
83.;  T.  minutus  Linn.  Edw.  Birds,  pi.  356. ;  Ibis  leucopygia  Spix, 
Av.  Bras.  t.  88. 
2.  I.  alba  (Linn.)  PI.  enl.  915.,  Cates.  Car.  pi.  82.,  Wils.  Amer. 
Orn.  pi.  66.  f.  3.  —  Tantalus  coco  Jacq.  Vog.  t.  24. 
3.  I.  longirostris  Wagl.  Isis,  1829.  p.  760. 
4.  I.  Falcinellus  (Linn.)  PI.  enl.  819.  —  T.  igneus  et  T.  viridis 
Gmel. ;  Tringa  autumnalis  Hasselq.  Hist.  del'E'gypte,  Ois.  t.  7.  f.  2., 
Gould,  B.  of  Eur.  pi.  311.;  Tantalus  bengalensis  Licht. ;  Type  of 
Falcinellus  Bechst.  (1803?). 
5.  ?  I.  guaranna  (Linn.)  Shaw,  Nat.  Misc.  pi.  705.  —  Tantalus 
mexicanus  Gmel.  ;  Numenius  chici  Vieill.  ;  T.  chalcopterus  Temm. 
PI.  col.  511.;  Ibis  Ordi  Pr.  Bonap. ;  I.  Falcinellus  Pr.  Bonap. 
Am.  Ornith.  pi.  23.  f.  1 . 
Geronticus  Wagl.  f 
Bill  more  or  less  strong,  elevated  at  the  base,  and  curved  throughout  its  length  ;  the  sides  compressed 
to  the  tip,  which  is  obtuse ;  the  nostrils  basal,  lateral,  and  placed  in  a  groove  which  extends  from  the 
base  to  the  tip,  with  the  opening  linear  and  exposed.  Wings  long  and  pointed ;  with  the  first  quill 
generally,  and  sometimes  the  second  quill,  shorter  than  the  third  and  fourth,  which  are  equal  and 
longest.  Tail  long,  broad,  and  even.  Tarsi  as  long  as,  or  rather  shorter  than,  the  middle  toe ;  strong, 
and  covered  in  front  with  hexagonal  scales.  Toes  long  and  robust ;  with  the  inner  toe  shorter  than  the 
outer,  the  lateral  ones  united  at  the  base,  and  all  the  fore  toes  margined  on  the  sides ;  the  hind  toe  long 
and  strong ;  the  claws  moderate,  compressed,  and  curved.  The  head  and  neck  more  or  less  denuded  of 
feathers  ;  the  scapulars  of  some  species  long,  and  composed  of  decomposed  plumes. 
*  Established  by  Mcehring  in  1752.  Eudocimus  of  Wagler  (1829)  is  synonymous;  and  it  comprises  Falcinellus  of  Bechstein  (1803  ?), 
with  which  Plegadis  of  Dr.  Kaup  (1832)  and  Tantalides  of  Wagler  are  coequal. 
+  Established  by  Wagler  (1832).  {Isis.  p.  1232.)  It  embraces  Cercibis,  Theristicus,  Phimosus,  Harpiprion  of  the  same  author  (1832), 
Thneskiornis  of  G.  R.  Gray  (1842),  and  Bostrychia  of  Herr  Reichenbach. 
6  T 
