840 



SHOO IS HO VELER 



SHOOI, a name in Shetland (Edmondston, Zetland Islands, ii. 

 p. 281) for the Arctic Gull (Skua). 



SHORT BILL, the inexpressive name given by Swainson in 

 1820 {Zool. Illtistr. pi. 31) to a curious bird, first described by Vieil- 

 lot {Analyse, j). 68) as Phihalura^ flavirostris, one of the Cotingidx 

 (Chatterer), but easily recognized by its long, 

 forked tail. Its coloration, though somewhat resem- 

 bling that of Ampelion, is peculiar, the olive-green 

 feathers of the upper parts being tipped with bright 

 yellow, following a subterminal black bar, while 

 those of the throat and breast are Avhite with a 

 similar black bar and no yellow tip : the crown of 

 ^ the head is crimson, more or less concealed by a 

 ' thick growth of dark feathers. There is only one 

 species of the genus which inhabits open spaces in 

 the forests of South-eastern Brazil ; but until the 

 appearance of Dr. Goldi's notes {Ibis, 

 1894, pp. 484-490) next to nothing Avas 

 known of its habits, and Avhat he tells 

 us leaves much to be desired. He found 

 that the bird devours enormous quanti- 

 ties of certain berries having a viscous 

 pericarp, and he obtained a nest with 

 two eggs on which the parent was sitting. These were of a clear 

 greenish-blue Avith an irregular crown of neutrally-tinted s^iots at 

 the larger end, but the illustration representing the nest, eggs and 

 young is disappointing. The nest is almost concealed by the sawn- 

 oif branches of the tree in which it was built, the eggs from the 

 small scale shew no characters, and the 3'oung are nearly as 

 insignificant.^ 



SHOVELER, formerly spelt Shovelar, and more anciently 



1 Some writers object to this word as senseless, so that in 1827 Gloger 

 {Notizcn a. d. Gch. d. Natur, xvi. p. 278) proposed Clielidis instead, and Prof. 

 Cabanis {Arch. f. Nahurrjcsch. 1847, i. }>. 233), tliinking that too much like 

 C'hclklon, suggested Amphiholura as an amendment, unaware that the last had 

 been preoccupied by Wagler in Herpetology ; but no change seems needed, for 

 (pipaXos [gracilis, cxilis), though not commonly given in lexicons, is to be found 

 in that of Constantino (1592), and combined with ovpa is appropriate enough— 

 this being the very etymology Vicillet gave (iV. Diet, d'hist. nat. xxiv. p. 107). 



- Many years ago Mr. A. G. More drew my attention to a figure in the 

 Dublin Pc7mij Journal (i. p. 253) for 2 Feb. 1833 which he had recognized 

 as representing a bird of this species, professedly taken from one said to have been 

 shot two or three years before at Powerscoiirt in Ireland, where it was flying 

 about with some Swallows ! The specimen was said to be in the possession of a 

 gentleman at Dublin ; but, though the descrijitiou is accurate, the coutributor 

 did not give his name, and liis statement is hard to believe. 



(After Swainson.) 



