PLECTROPTERIN^. 
Sarkidiornis  Eyton.* 
Bill  moderate,  of  equal  width  throughout,  more  elevated  at  the  base  than  broad,  and  the  tip  armed 
with  a  broad  strong  nail ;  the  nostrils  large,  oval,  placed  near  the  middle  and  culmen.  Wings  lengthened, 
with  the  first  and  second  quills  nearly  equal  and  longest;  each  shoulder  armed  with  a  blunt  tubercle. 
Tail  moderate  and  rounded.  Tarsi  moderate,  as  long  as  the  middle  toe  without  the  claw,  and  covered 
with  subquadrate  scales.  Toes  long,  the  anterior  ones  united  by  a  full  Aveb ;  the  hind  toe  moderate, 
much  elevated,  and  simple.  The  male  furnished  with  a  large  rounded  compressed  caruncle  on  the  top 
of  the  culmen. 
The  birds  of  this  division  art-  inhabitants  of  the  wanner  parts  of  America,  and  are  also  found  in  India  and  Western 
and  Southern  Africa.  The  Indian  species  is  generally  met  with  in  pairs,  and  feeds  on  the  seeds  of  aquatic  grasses  and 
other  kinds  of  plants.  The  female  is  of  less  size  than  the  male,  has  the  metallic  reflections  much  less  brilliant,  and  is 
also  destitute  of  the  compressed  upright  caruncle  on  the  culmen. 
I.  S.  nyia    (Mol.)    Eytoii.  —  Anser  melanonotos  Pain    Intl.  j       2.  S.  africana  Ey ton,  Monogr.  Anat.  p.  103. 
Zool.  p.  21.  pL  11.,  PL  cnl.  937.,  VieilL  Gal.  des  Ois.  t.  285. ;  Anas        3.  ?  S.  sibilatrix  Poepp.  Bull.  Sci.  Nat.  xix.  103. 
tricolor  Bodd. 
Chenalopex  Steph.-f 
Bill  rather  short,  strong,  with  the  base  much  elevated,  and  the  culmen  gradually  sloping  to  the  tip, 
which  is  armed  with  a  broad  strong  nail  ;  the  nostrils  large,  rather  rounded,  and  placed  near  the  middle 
and  culmen.  Wings  long,  with  the  second  and  third  quills  nearly  equal  and  longest ;  the  bend  of  the 
wings  armed  with  a  blunt  spur.  Tail  moderate  and  slightly  rounded.  Tarsi  longer  than  the  middle 
toe,  and  covered  with  subquadrate  scales.  Toes  moderate,  the  anterior  ones  united  by  a  full  web  ;  the 
hind  toe  long,  elevated,  and  slightly  lobed. 
Most  parts  of  Africa,  and  the  tropical  portions  of  America,  are  the  localities  of  the  birds  that  constitute  the  species 
of  this  genus. 
L.  C.  cegyptiacus  (Linn.)  Steph.  PL  enL  379- — Anser  varius 
Schn. 
2.  C.  africanus  (Bonn.)  PL  enl.  982,  983. 
3.  C.  montanus  (GmeL). 
4.  C.  jubutus  (Spix),  Wagl.  Spix,  Av.  Bras.  t.  108. —  Anser 
poly  com  os  Less.  ? 
*  The  above  name  was  established  in  1838  (Monogr.  Anatidce,  p.  20.)  by  Mr.  Eyton. 
t  It  was  in  1824  that  Mr.  Stephens  established  the  above  r.ame  (Gen.  Zool.  xii.  p.  42.). 
April,  1845. 
K  K 
