496 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 



found it with young at Milltown, Me. ; and Giraud, in his 

 " Birds of Long Island," says that it breeds in that locality. 

 The greater number, however, pass to the more northern 

 countries, where they begin to lay early in June. The 

 nests are similar to those of the Green-winged Teal, and 

 are placed in similar localities. The eggs are from six to 

 ten in number. They vary in form from ovate to ovoidal, 

 and are sometimes nearly oval in shape : they are of a dirty 

 yellowish-white color, paler than that of the eggs of the 

 Green-winged Teal. They vary in dimensions from 1.95 

 by 1.35 inch (Wisconsin) to 1.74 by 1.30 inch (Labrador). 

 The surface of both these eggs, and those of the preceding 

 species, is covered with stains of a darker tint than the 

 primary color ; probably caused by the feet of the bird, or 

 by the decaying vegetation which forms the nests of both 

 species. 



SPATULA, BOIE. 



Spatula, BOIE, Isis (1822), 564. (Type Anas clypeata, L.) 



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 mandrble 

 very close, delicate, and lengthened, projecting far below the lower edge; tail acute, 

 less than half the wing. 



SPATULA CLYPEATA. Sole. 

 The Shoveller; Spoonbill. 



Anas clypeata, Linnaeus. Syst Nat., I. (1766) 200. Wils. Am. Orn., VIII. (1814). 

 Aud. Orn. Biog., IV. (1838) 241. lb., Birds Am., VI. (1843) 293. 

 Spatula clypeata, Boie. Isis (1822), 564. 

 Anas (Spathulea) clypeata, Nuttall. Man., II. (1834) 375. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Head and neck green ; forepart and sides of the breast, with greater portion of 

 scapulars, and the sides of the base of the tail, white ; rest of under parts dull pur- 

 plish-chestnut; 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 vel- 

 vet-green, streaked centrally with white ; speculum grass-green, edged very nar- 

 rowly behind with black, and then with white. 



Female with the wing similar, but with the blue of coverts and scapulars less 



