JOO 



THE WHITE OR EUROPEAN SPOONBILL, 



Piatalea leucorodia, LINNAEUS. 

 / 



PLATE VIII. 



Piatalea leucorodia, Linn. Spatule blanche, Temm. 

 Spoonbill or White Spoonbill of British authors. 



THE Spoonbill is an occasional visitant to the three 

 kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland, being most 

 frequently met with in England, while it is rare in 

 the others ; in the former, they are even recorded by 

 Sir Thomas Browne to have bred occasionally, while, 

 on the other hand, in Scotland, they appear to have 

 strayed even so far north as Orkney and Shetland.* 

 Out of Europe, they seem to range to Africa and 

 India, although the specimens brought by Colonel 

 Sykes are from three to four inches longer than the 

 European birds. \ The Spoonbill seems to breed both 

 on trees and upon the ground, or nearly so, among 

 tall reeds ; and the eggs deposited in a nest of large 

 and strong structure, differ from those of the other 

 Ardeadce in their colour, being nearly white, with 

 blotches of pale brown over them. Their food is 

 usually described to be small reptiles and fish, with 

 * Fleming. . f Yarrell. 



