686 



U. S. p. K. K. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENEIIAL EEPOKT. 



Family TLATALEIDAE. 



Cii. — Bill completely depressed, very broad, and widening at tlio rounded tip. 



No more detailed description is needed to characterize the spoon-billsj of which seven or 

 eight species are described by authors. 



PLATALEA, L, 



Plalaha, LiNN. Syst. Nat. 173.'). Type PlalaUa leucorodia. (Gray.) 



Ch. — Bill very broad, excessively depressed, and spatulate or greatly widened to the rounded tip ; the mandibles in close 

 apposition ; the edges not lamellar. Head bald in the adult American species. Legs rather shorter than in typical herons ; tibia 

 and tarsi covered throughout with small hexagonal scales ; the former bare for nearly one-half. Toes webbed at the base ; the 

 outer lorger than the inner ; the middle claw not pectinated. Middle toe nearly as long as the tarsus ; hind toe rather long. 



Comparative measurements. 



PLATALEA AJAJA, Linn. 



Rosr Spoon-bill. 



Plalaha ajnja, Linn. I, 1766, 231.— Gmelin, I, 614.— Wilson, Am. Cm. VII, 1813, 123 ; pi. Ixii, (two years old.)— 

 BoN. Obs. 1825, No. 185. — Ib Conspectus, II, 1855, 146.— Nuttall, Man. II, 1834, 79— "Wagler, 

 Isis, 1831, 530.— AuD. Orn. Biog. IV, 1838, 188, pi. 131.— Ib. Syn.— Ib. Birds Amer. VI, 1843, 72 ; 

 pi. 362.— GuNDLAcH, Cab. Jour. IV, 1856, 347. 



Plalea incurnala, Sloan, Hist. Jam. !I, 316. 

 Roseate spoon-bilt, Latham. 



Mull. — Head all round and nape naked. General color rosy red ; paler anteriorly, and nearly white on the neck. Lesser 

 wing coverts, with upper and lower tail coverts and lower part of throat, intense carmine. Tail feathers brownish ochro yellow. 

 Naked skin of head yellowish green. Bill mostly greenish blue in life. 



YoungtT with the head feathered, except around the base of the bill, and around and a little behind the eye. Similar in color, 

 but the carmine wanting and the tail rosy. 



Length, 30 inches ; wing, 15 ; tarsus, 4 ; bill above, 7. 



Hub. — South Atlantic and Gulf States. 



List of specimens. 



Catal. 

 No. 



4273 

 9499 

 9498 



Locality. 



Florida? 



Calcasieu pass, La 



Lower Rio Grande, Tex. 

 Eio Grande, Tex 



When col- 

 lected. 



1854 

 1853 

 1843 



Whence obtaiued. 



S. F. Baird 



G. Wurdemaim 

 Major Emory . . 

 ....do 



Collected by — 



J. .T. Audubon 



A. Scholt. 

 ....do.... 



