ANATIXJfi — THE DUCKS — SPATULA. 



525 



Genus SPATULA, Boie. 



Spatula, Boie, Isis, 1822, 564 (type, Anas clypeata, Linn.). 



Rhijnchaspis, "Leach," Stephens, Shaw's Gen. Zool. XIL ii. 1824, 114 (same type). 



Char. Bill longer than the head, much expanded, or almost spatulate, terminally, where about 

 twice as wide as at the compressed base ; maxillary lamellae very thin, lengthened, almost com- 

 pletely exposed posteriorly, where resembling the teeth of a fine comb. Tail short, the feathers 

 acute. 



Of this very curious and well-marked genus, in which, however, there is little that is peculiar 

 except in the form of the bill, about five species are known — one occurring throughout the north- 

 ern hemisphere, the others peculiar to South America, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. 

 In the two American species and that from Australia there is a very close resemblance in the 

 coloration of the wing to certain species of Querquedula (e. g. discors and cyanoptera} ; while in 

 the Australian species (S. rhynchotis) this curious analogy is carried still farther, the coloration of 

 the head, including the white crescentic bar across the lores, being almost exactly as in Q. discors. 



The characters of the two American and the Australian species are as follows : — 



S. clypeata. 



Com. Char, (adult males). Lesser wing-coverts pale dull blue ; middle coverts broadly tipped 

 with white ; speculum bronze-green ; tertials .striped centrally with white ; lower parts chestnut- 

 rufous ; a white patch at the base of the tail, on each side. 



A. Culmen nearly straight, slightly depressed in the middle ; feathering at base of maxilla, on 



each side extending forward as far as that on the forehead. 



1. S. clypeata. Head and neck dull dark green ; jugulum white. Hah. Northern hemi- 



sphere. 



2. S. rhynchotis. Head and neck dull bro-miish gray, faintly glossed with glaucous-green 



on the nape ; the anterior part of the head marked on each side by a white crescentic 

 bar across the lore ; jugulum dusky, marked with buff. Hah. Australia. 



B. Culmen decidedly concave in the middle portion ; feathering at the base of the maxilla on 



each side, forming a straight vertical line. 



3. S. platalea. Head and neck buff, speckled with dusky ; jugulum light cinnamon, spotted 



with Ijlack. Hah. Southern South America. 



The genus Spatula has a near relative in the curious Malacorhynchiis msmbraiiaceus of Aus- 

 tralia, which has a somewhat similar but still more remarkable bill, and differs further in the 



