C++ :: Ifstream Object Passing To Functions

I am having an issue with passing an ifstream object to functions. Here is the code:

Code:
#include <fstream>
using namespace std;
void otherfunction (ifstream *ifs) {
...does stuff, like ifs->open(), then reads from the file...
}

int main () {
ifstream ifs();
otherfunction(&ifs);
}

Here is the error message:

Code: error: cannot convert ‘std::ifstream (*)()’ to ‘std::ifstream*’ for argument ‘1’ to ‘void otherfunction(std::ifstream*)’

Why can't I do that? What does "ifstream (*)()" even mean? And I don't want to change the structure of the program. I have reasons for declaring the ifstream object in the main function (because there are actually two functions that need access to the ifstream object -- neither of which is working).

Also, if I change the main function to be this instead:

Code:
int main () {
ifstream ifs();
ifstream *ifsptr = &ifs; //EDIT 2: forgot the ampersand
otherfunction(ifsptr);
}

I get the same error as above. However, if I change the main function to this:

Code:
int main () {
ifstream *ifsptr = new ifstream();
otherfunction(ifsptr);
}

I get all kinds of crazy errors about "undefined symbols for architecture _____". Here is the actual error message from my program (parseArgs is the real name of otherfunction)

Code:
Undefined symbols for architecture x86_64:
"std::ios_base::Init::Init()", referenced from:
__static_initialization_and_destruction_0(int, int)in cchumGBV.o
"std::ios_base::Init::~Init()", referenced from:

[Code] .....