500 



PLATALEA. SPOONBILL. 



The Spoonbills may be said to be Ibises, Avith the bill flat- 

 tened and expanded toward the extremity. They are birds 

 of rather large size, having the body ovate, the neck long 

 and rather slender, the head of moderate size, ovate, and 

 flattened above, but little compressed. 



Bill very long, being at least three times the length of 

 the head, nearly straight, extremely depressed, being, when 

 viewed from above, nearly as broad as the head at the base, 

 gradually narrowed toward the middle, then expanding into 

 an obovate disk much broader than the head ; but when 

 viewed laterally extremely slender, unless at the base ; upper 

 mandible with the dorsal line at first descending, then nearly 

 straight to the end, where it is decurved ; the ridge ex- 

 tremely broad and flat, gradually widening beyond the nos- 

 trils ; the sides rather broad, convex, and transversely rugose 

 at the base, gradually narrowed to the middle, then widened, 

 and again narrowed toward the tip, forming, as it were, in 

 its whole length a margin to the flattened ridge, from which 

 they are separated by a narrow groove ; lower mandible with 

 the angle very long and narrow, the dorsal line indicated by 

 a groove, which is straight until at the end, where it is 

 decurved, the crura narrow, gradually flattened, then ex- 

 panded into a disk, similar to that of the upper mandible, 

 the edges thin and obtuse. Both mandibles are covered 

 with a thin and soft skin ; the gape-line nearly straight. 



Mouth rather narrow, its roof behind with two rows of 

 obtuse papillaj ; both mandibles internally flattened, with a 

 medial groove, and beautifully marked with very narrow 

 elevated lines and grooves parallel to the margins. Tongue 

 extremely small, broader than long, at the base emarginate 

 and papillate. There is a dilatable gular sac of small extent, 



