go2 SPOWE—STANIEL 
also black. In the breeding-season a pendent tuft of white plumes 
further ornaments the head of both sexes, but is longest in the male. 
The young of the year have the primary quills dark-coloured. 
The Spoonbills form a natural group, Plataleida, allied, as before 
stated (p. 456), to the Jbididz, and somewhat more distantly to the 
Storks. They breed in societies, not only of their own kind, but 
in company with Herons, either on trees or in reed-beds, making 
large nests in which are commonly laid four eggs,—white, speckled, 
streaked or blotched, but never very closely, with light red. Such 
breeding-stations have been several times described, and among the 
more recent accounts of one of them are those of Messrs. Sclater 
and W. A. Forbes (/bis, 1877, p. 412), and Mr. Seebohm (Zool. 
1880, p. 457), while a view of another has been attempted by 
Schlegel (Vog. Nederland, taf. xvii.). The latest systematic revision 
of the group is by Mr. Grant (bis, 1889, pp. 32-58, pl. i.). 
SPOWE, Icel. Spc, an old name, though apparently yet extant, 
for the WHIMBREL; but SPOWSE is an ancient corruption of 
Sparrowes, 7.¢. SPARROWS. 
SPRAT-LOON, a gunner’s name for a DIVER in immature or 
winter-plumage—the Red-throated Diver, Colymbus septentrionalis, as 
the commonest species, being that which is generally meant. 
SPRIG-TAIL, a name for the Prnram (p. 726), and perhaps 
also for the Long-tailed Duck (HARELD, p. 406), though that is a 
species much less common than the other. 
SPRITE, see SPEICHT (p. 899). 
SPUR-FOWL, the Anglo-Indian name for birds of the genus 
Galloperdix, allied to Gallus (FOWL, p. 289), but remarkable for the 
two, or sometimes even three, pairs of spurs that the cock bears 
on his legs, while the hens are similarly armed. Three species are 
known, of which the first described is peculiar to Ceylon, and is the 
Perdix bicalcarata of J. R. Forster in 1781 (Ind. Zool. p. 25, pl. xiv.), 
the other two inhabiting the mainland of India; but their respective 
range seems not to have been yet defined with precision (Hume, 
Nests and Eggs Ind. B. ed. 2, iii. pp. 423-425). One of them, G. 
spadicea, was originally described as from Madagascar; but, as Dr. 
Hartlaub shewed in 1861 (Orn. Beitr. Madag. p. 69), evidently by 
mistake. 
SQUACCO, the mis-spelling of Latham (Gen. Synops. iii. p. 74, 
in place of Sguacco, the Italian name of a HERON (p. 419, note), 
Ardea ralloides or comata, which was correctly given by Willughby 
and Ray (though they had not seen the bird) from Aldrovandus. 
The error has, however, established itself firmly. 
STANIEL, STANNEL and STONEGALL (Germ. Steingail), 
