16 BULLETIN 135^ UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



the islands late in the season. The nests were built on the ground 

 among the sunflowers after the herons had finished breeding and 

 gone; and Mr. Simmons said he found pink feathers in some of the 

 nests. Such nesting habits, so different from the customary habits 

 of the species, must have been very unusual or merely casual. 



But I think we solved the mystery when we found large numbers 

 of roseate spoonbills nesting in the midst of an immense rookery of 

 white ibises away off in the wilds of Victoria County. It took us 

 four days to locate this rookery, by watching the lines of flight of the 

 birds to and from their feeding grounds, in an immense tract of 

 swamps and heavily forested country in the lowlands along the Guad- 

 alupe River. This rookery is more fully described under the white 

 ibis. The center of abundance of the spoonbills was a partially dry, 

 but muddy, spot surrounded by water where a group of large trees,. 

 water oaks, and large elms, afforded some shade over a denser growth 

 of small trees and bushes below. Here a great many nests were- 

 grouped closely together, from 6 to 15 feet above the ground, in the 

 smaller trees and bushes. Spoonbill's nests were also scattered 

 all over the rookery among the nests of the white ibises, but usually 

 in the more shady places. The spoonbills' nests were easily recog- 

 nized as they were larger, better made and more deeply hollowed ; 

 they were made of larger sticks and were lined with small twigs and 

 with leaves, both green and dry. Most of the nests at that date. 

 May 30, held three or four eggs, but mau}^ had small, pink, downy 

 young; we did not find any large young. 



Eggs. — The roseate spoonbill lays ordinarily three eggs, sometimes 

 only two, often four eggs and very rarely five. The eggs are easily 

 recognized. In shape they vary from ovate to elliptical ovate or even 

 elongate ovate. The shell is thick and rather roughly granulated, 

 with no gloss. The ground color is usually dull or dirty white and 

 the egg is more or less evenly covered with spots and small blotches 

 of various shades of brown, "chestnut," "auburn," "russet," or 

 "tawny"; occasionally the markings are concentrated around the 

 larger end. A particularly handsome set has a pinkish, creamy white 

 ground color, more or less uniformly covered with dashes and spots 

 of lavender, purple and drab, over which spots of various shades of 

 brown are quite evenly distributed. The measurements of 40 eggs 

 average 65 by 43.9 millimeters; the eggs showing the four extremes 

 measured 71.5 by 42.5, 68.1 by 47, 60.2 by 44.4, and 66 by 41 

 millimeters. 



Young. — The two young, referred to above, in the feeble, help- 

 less stage, unable to stand as yet, were curious looking birds, flabby 

 and fat, with enormous abdomens and soft ducklike bills; their color 

 including bill, feet, legs, and entire skin, was a beautiful, deep, rich, 

 salmon pink; they were scantily covered with short, white down. 



