66 BULLETIN 133, UNITED STATES NATIONAL. MUSEUM 



appeared. On the Estancia Los Yngleses near Lavalle, Buenos 

 Aires, a flock that at times numbered 15 was observed regularlj' 

 from October 22 to November 2. Others were seen in crossin<]j from 

 Lavalle to Santo Domingo on November 16. N ar San Vicente, 

 Uruguay, a few were observed in marshes in company with wood 

 ibis on January 31, 1921, and one was seen not far from Lazcano, 

 also in the Department of Rocha, on February 6. 



Near Lavalle the birds were found about shallow, open pools ac 

 the borders of rush-grown caiiadones, or were observed as they 

 crossed the marshes or circled in a close flock above the rushes. In 

 flight, neck and legs were fully extended, and the broad wings beat 

 slowly and steadil3\ Occasionally they uttered low grunting or 

 croaking calls. Whether in the air or walking along the border of 

 some pool the bright colors of their plumage showed clearly in 

 beautiful contrast with a background of blue sky or green rushes. 

 Locally the birds were known as rosado or as cucharon. 



A male and a female about ready to breed were shot on November 

 2. The soft parts in the male v/ere colored as follows: Maxilla 

 mineral gray, with margin and irregular spots over surface dark 

 neutral gray, and scales at base mineral gray; mandible pale ecru 

 drab, with a wash toward center of mineral gray, margined and 

 blotched with dark neutral gray, with scales near base mineral gray ; 

 bare skin on sides of head to behind eye, and a transverse line behind 

 base of maxilla pale zinc orange; crown and sides of head above ears 

 pale turtle green; gular skin for an inch behind symphysis of man- 

 dible glaucous, rest of pouch light ochraceous buff ; skin through ears 

 and across back of head black; iris scarlet red; tarsus and crus old 

 rose, tarsus more or less clouded with fuscous; toes fuscous. This 

 male, though otherwise in full plumage, had the center of the crown 

 and the nape still covered with feathers. 



On examining these two birds while they were fresh I found that 

 the gular area contained a distensible air sac that apparently was 

 maintained partly inflated, and was connected with extensive pas- 

 sages of the cervical air sac along the sides of the neck. This gular 

 sac formed a large oval chamber lying beneath the tongue, con- 

 stricted behind to a small orifice leading into the cervical series of 

 air cells mentioned above. When fully inflated it forced the thin 

 skin forming the floor of the mouth in front of the small tongue up- 

 ward until the bladderlike distension was raised against the partly 

 elevated or opened upper mandible so that it gave a most curious ap- 

 pearance. This development was present in both sexes. 



These two spoonbills from Lavalle appear to be somewhat larger 

 than birds from the southern United States and seem to represent a 

 form that it may be possible to recognize, though at present I do not 

 care to consider the matter definitely, as I do not have other speci- 



