34S 



TUE ROSEATE SPOONBILL — SPOTTED TATLER. 



THE ROSEATE SPOONBILL. 



The Rod or American Sjioonbill chiefly dwells within the tropical 

 roo-ions of the continent, being common in Jamaica, and other ot the 

 West India Islands, as well as in Mexico, Guiana, and Brazil. 



According to the relation of Captain Ilenderson, in his account of 

 riouduras, this species is more maritime in its habits than that of 

 E' 1 1 rope, as it wades about in quest of shell fish, marine insects fry 

 and small crabs ; 



THE SPOTTED TATLER, OR PEET WEET. 



The Peet Weet, is one of the most familiar and common of all the 

 New England 



marsh birds, arriv- '^'i^^^^""^^^ *"^ ^^^»# 



ing along our river ^:2£^^S^iS?^^¥'i^ 



shores and low 



meadows, about the 

 beginning of May, 

 from their mild or 

 tropical winter 

 quarters, in Mexico, 

 and probably the 

 adjoining islands 

 of the West Iihlies. 

 By the 2<)th ot 

 April, Wilson ob- 

 served their arrival 

 on ihe shores of the 

 large rivers in the 

 State of Pennsylvania 



SPOTTED TATLEE. 



They migrate and breed from the Middle 

 States, in all probability, to tlie confines of the St. Lawrence, or 

 further ; but were not seen by Dr. Kichardson, or any of the Arctic 

 expeditions, in the remote boreal regions, or around Iludson's Bay, 

 as had been asserted by Hutchinson. It is also an accidental visit(jr 

 in the old continent, being sometimes observed on the coasts of the 

 Baltic, and in Germany, but still more rarely in Great Britain. Aa 

 to residence, therefore, the S]M)tted Tatler may be considered aa 

 exclusively American, and confined chiefly to the limits of the more 

 tsmperale parts of the Union. 



As soon as the Peet Weet arrives on the coasts, small roving flocks 

 »ro seen, at various times of the day, coursing rapidly along the bor- 

 ders of our tide water streams, flying swift and rather low, in circuit- 

 ous sweeps along the meanders of the creek or river, and occasionally 

 crossing from side to side, in rather a sportive and cheerful mien, than 

 as the needy foragers they appear at the close of autumn. While 

 flying out in these wide circuits, agitated by superior feelings to those 

 of hunger and necessity, we hear the shores re-echo the shrill and 

 rapid whistle of 'weet, ^weet, ''weet, ^weet, and usually closing tho notoii, 



