INTRODUCTION. 
lxxvii 
Family PLATALEID.ZE. Spoonbills. 
Genus PLATALEA, Linn. Most parts of the World. 
Gen. char. — Bill lengthened, straight, thin, much depressed, and broadly dilated at the tip, which is spatula- 
formed, with a lateral groove commencing on the forehead, extending, in a parallel line with the edge, to the 
tip, which is slightly bent downwards ; the nostrils basal and placed in a groove, with the opening oval and partly 
closed by a membrane. Wings long, and the second quill the longest. Tail short. Tarsi longer than the middle 
toe, rather slender, and covered with reticulated scales. Toes long, with the anterior toes much united at their 
base by a membrane, which extends along the sides of the toes to the tip ; the hind toe long, rather elevated, 
and only partly resting on the ground ; the claws short, scarcely curved, and obtuse. 
Order STEGANOPODES. 
Family PELECAETDiE]. Pouched Bieds. 
Genus PHALACROCORAX, JSrisson. Cosmopolite. 
Gen. char. — Bill moderate, straight, somewhat slender, with the culmen concave and suddenly hooked at the 
tip ; the sides compressed and grooved ; the nostrils basal, liuear, placed in the lateral groove, and scarcely visible. 
Wings moderate and pointed, with the second and third quills the longest. Tail moderate, and rounded at its end. 
Tarsi short, one third shorter than the middle toe, much compressed, and covered with reticulated scales. Toes 
long, with the outer toe rather longer than the middle one, and all four united by a full web. The base of the 
lower mandible is furnished with a coriaceous pouch, which is capable of extension. 
Genus PLOTUS, Linn. Various parts of America, Asia, and Africa, Australia and New Guinea. 
Gen. char. — Bill longer than the head, straight, and very slender, with the sides much compressed to the tip, 
which is very acute, the lateral margins finely serrated, and the gonys long and slightly ascending ; the nostrils 
basal, linear, and scarcely visible. Wings long, with the second and third quills equal and longest. Tail long and 
broad towards the end, which is rounded. Tarsi half the length of the middle toe, strong, and covered with small 
scales. Toes rather long, all united by a broad web ; the outer toe as long as the middle one ; the claws short, 
curved, and acute. 
Genus DYSPORUS, IUiger. Cosmopolite. 
Gen. char. — Bill longer than the head, robust, straight, broad at the base; with the sides compressed, and 
grooved towards the tip, which is slightly curved, and the lateral margins obliquely and unequally serrated ; the 
nostrils basal, lateral, linear, placed in a lateral groove and almost invisible. Wings long, pointed, and tnberculated, 
with the first two quills the longest. Tail moderate and graduated. Tarsi short, one third shorter than the outer 
toe, rounded anteriorly and keeled posteriorly. Toes lengthened, the outer and middle ones nearly equal, and all 
four connected by a full membrane ; the claws moderate and rather flat, that of the middle toe serrated, and the 
hind claw rudimental. Beneath the base of the lower mandible is a naked space, reaching towards the breast, 
which is capable of expansion. 
Genus TACHYPETES, Vieillot. Confined to the Tropics. 
Gen. char. — Bill longer than the head, broad at the base, with the culmen depressed, concave, and suddenly 
hooked and acute; the sides compressed and grooved; the lateral margins dilated on the sides near the base; the 
nostrils basal, lateral, linear, placed in the lateral groove, and scarcely visible. Wings extremely long and narrow, 
with the first two quills the longest. Tail very long and strongly forked. Tarsi very short, one third shorter than 
the outer toe, much compressed, and half covered with feathers. Toes long, all united by a strongly indented web, 
the lateral ones unequal, the outer one the longest, and the hind toe half the length of the middle one; the claws 
moderate and curved. The throat naked, and capable of being dilated into an extending pouch from neai the tip 
of the lower mandible downwards to the breast. 
