372 



SPATULA CLYPEATA (Boie). 



THE SHOVELLER : SPOONBILL DUCK. 



Specific Character. — Head and neck, dark metallic bluish green, much duller 

 than in (Anas boschas) ; breast and outer scapulars white, the former sometimes 

 spotted with dusky ; entire abdomen and sides uniform chestnut ; crissum dark 

 metallic bluish green, bounded anteriorly by a band of finely undulated grayish 

 white ; back and inner scapulars dusky, the feathers sometimes bordered w^ith 

 white, longer lanceolate scapulars marked with a mesial lanceolate 

 stripe of white ; wing coverts light grayish blue, the last row tipped 

 with white ; forming a narrow band across the wing ; speculum bright 

 metallic green, very narrowly tipped with white ; tertials dusky black 

 with faint green reflections, and marked toward the end with an indistinct mesial 

 stripe of grayish white ; primaries and their coverts dull slaty gray ; rump and 

 upper tail coverts black, the former with faint, the latter with bright green 

 reflections ; rectrices chiefly grayish white, the middle ones dark grey, edged 

 with white ; bill deep black; iris bright yellow; legs and feet beautif'Jil orange red. 

 Female. — Wings as in the male but colours duller. Other parts grayish brown 

 above varied with brownish white ; brownish white below. 



Total length about 20.00 inches ; extent, 32.00 ; wing, 9.00 ; culmen, 2.60 ; 

 tarsus, 1.50 ; middle toe, 1.70. 



Habitat. — The whole of the Northern Hemisphere ; Australia. Breeding from 

 Texas to Alaska wintering as far south as Guatemala and Cuba. 



The Shoveller is distributed over the greater part of the old as well as the 

 new world. It is found in North America, Europe and Asia, throughout Africa, 

 etc., etc. It is not a very numerous species and yet is found so widely distributed. 

 In Ontario the Spoonbill is not very common and yet at almost any of the principal 

 shooting stations a few are seen and .shot every autumn. This bird generally breeds 

 far north, although a few breed throughout more southern localities. The writer 

 noticed a pair in the marsh near Dunnville, Ont, on the Grand River about June 

 1st, 1 886. and was told by local sportsmen that they had been observed there for 

 a week or two. This pair of Spoonbills remained nnd raised a fine brood of five 

 young ones. Their nest, though not seen, was in the midst of a large wet marsh. 

 The same pair returned to the same locality in May of 1887 and raised another 

 brood, since which time they have not returned. This bird is considered by 

 epicures as very tender and juicy. 



