Genus— C H E N 0 P I S . 
Chenopis Wagler, Isis 1832, p. 1234 Type C. atrata. 
Also spelt — 
Ghenopais Reichenbach, Nat. Syst. Vogel., p. x., 1862. 
Cygnine birds of dark coloration with medium bill, very long neck, long 
wings, very short tail, short legs, and long toes fully webbed. The bill is 
longer than the head and about three-fourths the length of the metatarsus ; 
it is of medium height at the base, swollen at this place but rapidly becoming 
depressed towards the tip, which overhangs the under mandible ; nail not 
prominent. Obsolete lamellae can be noted only along the central portion 
of the sides of the upper mandible, being altogether lacking towards the 
base and the tip. Nostrils small ovals, somewhat diagonally placed near 
base of bill but high up on sides of upper mandible. Under mandible 
broad and flat ; strong serrations on each edge corresponding with the 
obsolete lamellae of upper mandible. Rami broad and flattened, enclosing 
a long narrow unfeathered groove which extends almost entire length of 
lower mandible, only a small flattened ungrooved tip being present. 
The wings are long, the second primary longest. The tail, composed 
of twenty- two feathers, is square and is less than one-fourth the length of 
the wing and little more than the metatarsal length. The metatarsus is 
short, stout and covered throughout with very small reticulate scales. 
The toes are long, exceeding the metatarsus in length and fully webbed ; 
a short hind toe is present, which is not lobed. 
This genus, which is commonly recognised, depends to a great 
extent upon coloration. In the Catalogue of Birds in the British 
Museum, Vol. XXVII., 1895, Count Salvador! gives (p. 24) as the 
differential characters of the genus : “ Tertials and scapulars crisp ; 
predominant colour black.” 
The latest review of the swans I have noted is that by Oberholser 
in the Emu, Vol. VIII., pp. 1-11, 1908. There the genus Chenopis is 
maintained, but the addition of “ Tail shorter than middle toe with claw ” 
is made to Salvadori’s diagnosis. 
The genus is monotypic as now existing and confined to Australia, 
where it becomes very uncommon towards the extreme north. .Fossil 
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