BIRDS ANATINAE — SPATULA CLYPEATA. 



781 



SPATULA, Boie. 



Spalula, Boie, Isis, 1822, 5G4. Type ^nas clypeala, L. 



Rhynchaspis, "Leach," Stephens, Shaw's Gen. Zool. XII, il, 1824. Same type. 



Ch. — Bill much longer than the head and spatulate, widening to the end, where it is twice as broad as at the base. Nail long 

 and narrow. Lamellae of the upper mandible very close, delicate, and lengthened, projecting far below the lower edge. Tail 

 acute, less than half the wing. 



Of several species belonging to this genus, but one is found in the United States. Its essential 

 characters are as follows : 



Lesser and middle wing coverts and portion of tertials blue ; cinerated portion of greater 

 coverts brown, tipped with white; speculum grass green. Some of the tertials streaked with 

 white. 



Head and neck green ; breast, unspotted white ; underparts, purjilish chestnut. Tail covert 

 greenish S. dypeata. 



List of specimens. 



SPATULA CLYPEATA, Boie. 

 Shoveller; Spoonbill. 



^)ias dypeata, Linn, Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 200.— Gmelin, I, 518.— Lath. Ind. II, 1790, 856.— Wilson, Am. Orn. 



VIII, 1814 ; pi. Ixvii.— Bon. Obs. 1825, No. 255.— Sw. F. Bor. Am. II, I83I, 439.— Ai-d. Orn. 



Biog. IV, 1838, 241 ; pi. 327.— Ib. Syn. 283.— Ib. Bird's Amer. VI, 1843, 293; pi. 394, 

 Spalitla clypeala, Boie, Isis, 1822, 564. 

 Spatkulca clypeala, Fleming. 



»4»as (Spathulea) clypeala, Nhtt, Man. II, 1834, 373. 

 Rhynehaspsis clypeala, (Leach) Stephens, Shaw's Gen. Zool. XII, 1824, 115.— Bon. List, 1838.— Eyton, Hun. 



Anat. 1838, 134. 

 ^nos rubens, Gmelin, Sysl. Nat. I, 1788, 519. 

 Shoveller, Pennant, II, 557. — Lath. Syn. Ill, ii, 509. 



Sp. Ch. — Head and neck green; fore part and sides of the breast, with greater portion of seapulars, and the sides of the base 

 of the tail, white ; rest of under parts dull purplish cliestnut ; crissum, rump, and upper tail coverts, black, the latter glossed 

 with green. Wing coverts blue ; the posterior row brown in the concealed portion, and tipped with white ; longest tertials 

 blue, streaked internally with white ; others velvet green, streaked centrally with white ; speculum grass green, edged very 

 narrowly behind with black and thcu with white. 



