+-----------------------+-------------+------------+----------------+ | | Skeleton of |Skeleton of |Saccara Ibises. | | Parts. |an Ibis from |the Curlew. +-------+--------+ | | Thebes. | |Larger.|Smaller.| +-----------------------+-------------+------------+-------+--------+ |Head and beak together,| 0.210 | 0.215 | ... | ... | |Head alone, | 0.047 | 0.040 | ... | ... | |The 14 vertebræ of | 0.192 | 0.150 | ... | ... | | the neck together, | | | | | |Back, | 0.080 | 0.056 | ... | ... | |Sacrum, | 0.087 | 0.070 | ... | ... | |Coccyx, | 0.037 | 0.035 | ... | ... | |Femur, | 0.078 | 0.060 | ... | ... | |Tibia, | 0.150 | 0.112 | ... | 0.095 | |Tarsus, | 0.102 | 0.090 | ... | ... | |Middle-toe, | 0.097 | 0.070 | ... | ... | |Sternum, | 0.092 | 0.099 | ... | ... | |Clavicle, | 0.055 | 0.041 | ... | 0.04 | |Humerus, | 0.133 | 0.106 | 0.124 | ... | |Fore-arm, | 0.153 | 0.117 | 0.144 | 0.114 | |Hand, | 0.125 | 0.103 | ... | ... | +-----------------------+-------------+------------+----------------+ It appears by this table, that the animal of Thebes was larger than our curlew; that one of the Saccara ibises was intermediate in size between that of Thebes and our common curlew, and that the other was smaller than this latter bird. It is also seen that the different parts of the body of the ibis do not observe the same proportions between each other, as those of the curlew. The beak of the former, for example, is in particular shorter, although all the other parts are longer, &c. However, these differences of proportions do not exceed what might be expected in species of the same genus: the forms and characters which may be considered as generic, are absolutely the same. We must therefore search for the true ibis, not among those tantaluses of large size and sharp beak, but among the curlews; and, let it be observed, that, by the name _curlew_, we intend to signify, not the artificial genus formed by Latham and Gmelin, of all the wading birds which have the beak curved downwards, but a natural genus, to which we shall give the name of _Numenius_, and which will comprehend all the waders with beaks curved downwards, soft and rounded, whether their head be bare or clothed with feathers. It is the genus _courlis_, such as Buffon imagined it[352].