176 THE GREY LAG GOOSE 
FAMILY PLATALEID 
THE SPOONBILL 
PLATALEA LEUCORODIA 
General plumage white ; a large patch of reddish yellow on the breast ; a crest 
of long narrow white feathers pendent over the neck; lore, orbits, and 
naked space on the neck, pale yellow; bill black, tipped with yellow ; 
irides red; feet black. Young birds want the yellow patch on the ‘breast 
and the occipital crest ; portions of the wing black. Length thirty-one 
inches. Eggs white, spotted with light red. 
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SPOONBILLS do not appear to have been common at any time; 
for though Sir Thomas Browne enumerates them among the birds of 
Norfolk and Suffolk, where they build in heronries, his contem- 
porary, Willughby, knew them only as natives of Holland. This 
bird is not unfrequent in East Anglia, and it is met with now and 
again along the south coast, and has wandered up the Thames 
valley. 
The Spoonbill is a migratory bird, building its nest and rearing 
its young in the north of Europe and Asia, and retiring in autumn to 
the shores of the Mediterranean or to Africa. It is remarkable not 
only for the singular conformation of its bill, but for ‘ being one 
of the very few which have been found to possess no true muscles 
of the organ of voice ; and no modulation of a single tone appears to 
be possessed by the bird.’ ? 
It builds its nest in high trees, or, when these are wanting, among 
reeds and rushes; and lays four eggs. 
ORDER ANSERES 
FAMILY ANATID/ 
THE GREY LAG GOOSE 
ANSER CINEREUS 
Folded wings not reaching to the extremity of the tail; bill strong, orange- 
yellow, the nail whitish; upper plumage ash-brown, many of the 
feathers bordered with greyish white ; under plumage, in front, light ash- 
grey, barred on the flanks and belly with brown, behind pure white ; 
irides deep brown; legs dull flesh-colour. Eggs ivory white. Length 
two feet ten inches. 
THE Geese characterized by having a large, ovate body, a long 
neck, a short and stout beak, high at the base and bent down at 
2 Yarrell’s British Birds, 
