212 HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS 



Similar visits of Spoonbills in recent years to Nor- 

 folk, where they formerly bred, have been noticed by 

 Stevenson (Zool, 1882, pp. 370-373; 1883, p. 317). 



In Scotland this bird is rarely met with in the 

 estuaries on the east coast. In October 1859 a 

 flock of ten visited the Bay of Kirkwall in Orkney, 

 where half-a-dozen of them were shot. 



In Ireland, according to Mr. Ussher, the Spoon- 

 bill is regarded as a rare and irregular visitor, occur- 

 ring in the maritime counties, chiefly in autumn and 

 winter. It feeds much on shrimps, as well as on 

 small fish and mollusca. As to its mode of feeding, 

 see Knox, Zool., 1843, p. 226, and Wolley, Zool., 

 1846, p. 1213. 



The weight of two specimens examined by me 

 was 3 lbs. and 3^ lbs. ; expanse of wing, 4 ft. 4 in. 

 and 4 ft. 3 in. respectively. 



Fam. CICONIID^. 



WHITE STORK. Giconia alba, Bechstein. PL 24, 

 figs. 3, 3a. Length, 44 in. ; bill, 8-3 in. ; wing, 23 in. ; 

 tarsus, 8-75 in. 



There is no evidence to show that the Stork ever 

 nested in the British Islands ; in fact, Ray has ex- 

 pressly stated that they did not do so in his time. 

 His words are, " In littoribus nostris interdum sed 

 rariils cernitur ; apud nos non nidificat " (Synopsis 

 Avium, 1713, p. 97). At the period of its migra- 

 tions, however, in spring and autumn, a few are 

 seen annually, and chiefly in the eastern counties, 



