arrangemén^ikêy É6 not dismember it, but foreêthe whdtédflfö
their family Jlrdeiike, with Which- even' Ibis has, it is'(true, moré
real, though less apparent affinity than with Scolopacidee: as for
Tantalm there could be no. doubt. Goldfuss has done «the same.
ThE^Tantalidae all ha-ve a v«fy long bill, stout at théI ba®e>
subulate, falcate, and-"cylindrical at tip, the edges' bent in and
sharp. I Their corneo-membranous tongue is- remarkably slroft,
flat, cuneate-acuminate, entire, posteriorly- furcate-emarginateï
Their- face as& destitute of feathers, and their throat somewhat
dilatable into..a pouchy^ -Their neck is longïli-Theic feet löng,
equilibrate, and alwdj^whr-toed: the naked :spaeê-dö& fcho
considerable: the toes long; bordered with a narrow "membrane
conflicting the fore toes alt base. The hind1 toe" rs-’ukieulatfed
with the-tarsus low-down, and »is half as long as ;tlite middle,
bearing with itSi whole length on the ground.' The wings arp
moderate, ol>tuse, tubercular. The tail short, composed of but
twelve feathers. The falcate shape of tlio bill will- at once
distinguish them from any of the Srdddas; and the nakedness of
the face from the Scolopacidae.
The Ibis may be - known from the true Tantalus by'having a
egpÈiparativèly .slender bill, depressed and euryed from theufaiPf
instead of being very stout at d ta fbasfe# ^eotaapress©d^ alldeeiikiitei-
only towards the tip. In Ibis, the upper manditilè' is deeply
furrowed its whole length, and; entire. tï$i: Tantalus it -iwüttot
fup^0>Weds; «fld is inolchedi %The nostrils are pervïöus and wi'dè
open in {.he la tte r; half-closed by a membrane' in the former.
T-he head-is warty'and cntirely bald in Tawtó&ïj while in Ibis the
nakedness generally extends* over the face and throat merely.
| Tantalus only contains four species,* one itt ehch öf the five
divisions of the globe, Burope excepted. In Ibis there are about
twenty well ascertained species, three inhabiting the United
States, of which the ptesrittvirf t ta only one tha%-ew## visit®
Europe.. In South America<»aTe found several beautiful Species.
.The tru’e Ihises-maybe subdivided;-into two-, secondary groups;
those--with* the tarsi' reticulated, and’those Which like t t a present
species have the'm-scuteM-atefjjg T h e former have shorter feet, and
by their-stouter bill,» and the more extended nudity of f^F ac e,
approach-^iieav^^ilfo lie Tantali.
them into the sections. <Syfooms-and Jdiverains. Dr. Wagler distributes
the mf into three sections, Which,< he calls IMdes lepopodiss,
Ibides asptdo-lepQpodise, an<kIMdesmspidtip&diee! this last s'ectiop being
foAedi Jor our «specie® flone,- principally ofl p » o i» t »fill® having
the middle toe-nail pectinated.
’ ' f c tta:i.lW#lfe^«.vfcftiheiE':; kmAred Tantali, «1© females are
considerably smaller than -the males; but-.»perfectly like- them in
colours; Thevyoung differ greatly from the adults until the third
year- Their moult is- annual- and regular. .
• • dull and i stupidf birds, fearless >.md allowing- of a very
olosC approach, .so that they^ise:Veasily shot-." -They -frequent
- inundated and» particularly
Jgg|pds just left b a r e b y floods, wferm.themr favourite ‘■food
^fc-nds.- They live in fldeks, but whemonee paired the .sexes
remain united for life. ,-They feed on,insects, worms, mollusca,
and tke^IMses also on vegetable suhstatoces.: tbeys sealteh -their
food ifl mud,and ofteffiitMrOwnt upswith their bill, catching it as
i^-'-deweiidsc. in; their 'throat.- * Shells, .eVeiiiiof considerable s&e;
they swallow trusting!- to -the muscularpower of t their
sto'mach te /crush tbem, for which their bill is V@o: weak. The
Tantali are also Well known to nse.i-t|heir - powerful bills against
fishes and reptiles, t a t the true Ibis never, notwithstanding the
popular belief- to the contrary. | 'Whfen sati'sfi'ed ‘with feedingJ
they retipe laip digestipm-td the, highest trees, where they stand in
an ieimot- postwej^estifli.! their heavy bill upon their tafeast. The
Ibides more than »the Tantali migrate periodically; and, to vast