62 Baby Birds at Home 



mud flats, where it feeds upon water-snails, 

 small fishes, frogs, insects, and the buds 

 and leaves of water-plants. During flight 

 flocks of these birds travel in single file with 

 outstretched necks and legs. The species 

 arrives in Europe as a rule during the 

 month of April, and after breeding in 

 Holland, Spain, and other countries, retires 

 southward again in September and October. 



The nest is made of a few dead reeds 

 formed into a rough kind of platform, a few 

 inches above the water in some swamp. In 

 India this bird breeds in trees along with 

 herons, just as it used to do in England in 

 olden times. Five or six eggs, of a dull, 

 chalky white, spotted and streaked with 

 reddish brown, are laid. 



The nestlings are covered with w T hite 

 down and are fed by their parents in the 

 same way that young pigeons are fed. Pro- 

 portionately their bills are not so large as 

 those of the old birds, and are, as might be 

 expected, softer in texture. 



It is easy to see from our illustration 

 why this bird has had given to it the com- 

 mon name of Spoonbill. In Norfolk it is 

 also known as the " Banjo-bill." 



