BIRDS —TANTALIDAE. 
681 
Family TANTALIDAE. 
Cti.—With naked spaces about the base of the very long, rounded, much attenuated, and decurved bill. Toes with a basal 
web, especially between the inner and middlo ones. 
Of the present family hut two well marked genera occur within the limits of the United 
States, namely Tantalus and Eudocimus. Falcinellus is so little different from the latter as 
scarcely to he worthy of generic rank. Bonaparte divides the Tantalidae into several sub¬ 
families, which, with the North American genera, may be characterized as follows : 
T ant Alin ae. —Bill very much thickened at base, without any nasal groove. Nostrils opening 
directly in the substance of the bill, not surrounded by membrane. Legs lengthened, and 
covered with hexagonal scales. 
Tantalus. —Head bare of feathers. 
Geronticinae. —Bill with a groove extending nearly to the tip. Legs with reticulated scales. 
Species confined to the old world and to South America. 
Ibinae. —Bill rather slender at the base ; upper mandible grooved to the tip. Nostrils sur¬ 
rounded, except below, by membrane. Legs anteriorly with transverse scutellae. 
Ibis. —Forehead bare of feathers ; claws curved ; plumage dull. 
Falcinellus. —Forehead feathered ; claws straight; plumage metallic. 
I have been obliged to change Bonaparte’s names of sub-families by calling his Ibinae, 
Geronticinae, and restoring the name of Ibinae to his Eudociminae. This is in consequence of 
the fact that Ibis of Moehring, 1752, has the Tantalus ruber, of Linnaeus, as type, and must be 
applied to the North American birds, so that Eudocimus becomes a synonym. 
Bartram, in his Travels in Florida, (1791,) describes a Tantalus pidus, of which Barton pub¬ 
lishes a figure, in Trans. Linn. Soc. London, XII, 1818, 24, pi. i, given him by Bartram, and 
there calls it Tantalus ephouskyca. It is difficult to say whether this be Tantalus, Ibis or Aramus. 
The coloration as described, however, differs materially from that of any known species of these 
genera. 
Comparative measurements of Tantalidae. 
Catal. 
No. 
Species. 
Locality. 
Sex. 
Length. 
Wing. 
Tail. 
Tarsus. 
Middle toe. 
Its claw 
alone. 
Bill above. 
Along gape. 
Specimen 
measured. 
9497 
18.50 
7.00 
7.10 
4.70 
0.56 
8.30 
7.90 
2736 
28.50 
10.90 
4.50 
3.50 
3.20 
0.50 
6.80 
6.50 
9502 
11.20 
5.02 
3.76 
3.22 
0.53 
7.00 
6.60 
Skin. 
1076 
12.00 
4.80 
3.48 
3.08 
0.50 
6.60 
6.50 
9500 
o 
10.10 
4.50 
3.04 
2.72 
0.44 
5.10 
5.20 
do.. 
V 
Fresh. 
9503 
20.50 
10.00 
4.06 
3.28 
2.80 
0.56 
4.35 
4.30 
Skin .. 
9870 
9.90 
4.12 
3.44 
2.90 
0.56 
4.30 
4.30 
Skin.« 
86 b 
July 29, 1858. 
