OCR Text |
Show 482 MR. D. G. ELLIOT ON THE IBIDINiE. [June 5, writers have preferred to employ them as subgeneric divisions, while others, ignoring them entirely, have placed all the birds in this subfamily under one genus, Ibis. From a careful examination of the subject it appears to me that either the latter view must be adopted, and but one genus recognized, or else quite a number must be employed, as the species certainly vary greatly among themselves, and by such characters as are usually deemed generic. Considering that more than one generic form is clearly to be perceived among these birds, I have referred the different species to those in which it seemed they should properly be retained. Some authors have taken the genus Ibis, as defined by Moehring, with Tantalus ruber, Linn., as the type. Moehring, however, does not come within the number of those writers who are accepted as authorities either for genera or species; and therefore Ibis, as referred by him, cannot in any way be taken into consideration. Lacepede was the first to define the genus Ibis after the time of Linnaeus (the starting-point of ornithological nomenclature) ; but he unfortunately did not designate any type for his genus; so it cannot be accepted. The next author who proposed a generic division for these birds was Bechstein, who, in 1803, gave the term Falcinellus to the Tantalus falcinellus of Linnseus ; and in 1810 Savigny defined the genus Ibis with Tantalus cethiopicus, Lath., the sacred Ibis of the ancients, as his type. Jit will thus be seen that Ibis cannot in any way be used for the American species of this subfamily, as has been generally the practice. In the following enumeration of the terms that have been proposed, I commence with Bechstein, and bring the list down to the present day, giving with each genus the species employed as its type :- (1803) Falcinellus, Bechst., Gem. Nat. (nee Type. Vieill.) Tantalus falcinellus, Linn. (1810) Pois, Savigny, Systeme des Oiseaux de l'Egypte et de la Syrie, p. 392 Tantalus cethiopicus, Lath. (1832) Tantalides, Wagler, Isis (nee Eeich.) ... Tantalus falcinellus, Linn. (1832) Theristicus, Wagl. ibid Scolopax caudatus, Bodd. (1832) Geronticus, Wagl. ibid Tantalus calvus, Bodd. (1832) Harpiprion, Wagl. ibid Tantaluscayennensis,Qmel. (1832) Eudocimus, Wagl. ibid Tantalus ruber, Linn. (1832) Cercibis, Wagl. ibid Ibis oxycerca, Spix. (1832) Phimosus, Wagl. ibid Zbis infuscata, Licht. (1842) Threskiornis, G. B. G-ray, App. List Gen. Birds, p. 13 Tantalus cethiopicus, Lath. (1851) Comatibis, Beichenb. Novitiaj, Synop. Avium, pl. 291. figs. 2383, 2384 Ibis comata, Biipp. (1851) Nipponia, Beichb. ibid. pl. 141. fig. 538 Ibis nippon, Temm. (1851) Molybdophanes, Beichb. ibid. pl. 139 fig. 524 Bjis ceerulescens, Vieill. (1851) Lophotibis, Beichb. ibid. pl. 83. fig. 637 Tantalus cristatus, Bodd. (1851) Inocotis, Beichb. ibid. pl. 140. fig. 533 ... Ibis papillosa, Temm. (1851) Carphibis, Beichb. ibid. pl. 82. figs. 1009, 1010 pbis spinicollis, James. (1851) Guar a, Beichb. ibid. pl. 139. figs. 525-527 Tantalus ruber, Linn. (1851) Leucibis, Beichb. ibid. pl. 141. fig. 526, pl. 361. figs. 2825, 2826, pl. 292. fig. 2385 Tantalus albus, Linn. (1851) Bostrychia, Beichb. ibid.pl. 83. fig. 1011 Ibis carunculata, Biipp. (1857) Hagedashia, Bon. Consp. Gen. Av Tantalus hagedash, Lath. |