186 



HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



striking a resemblance not to admit such birds 

 of the number ; and though the bill, or even 

 the toes, should entirely differ, yet the outlines 

 of the figure, and the natural habits and dis- 

 positions, being the same, these are sufficient 

 to mark their place in the general group of 

 nature. 



The Spoonbill is one of those birds which 

 differs a good deal from the crane, yet ap- 

 proaches this class more than any other. 

 The body is more bulky for its height, and 

 the bill is very differently formed from that 

 of any other bird whatever. Yet still it is a 

 comparatively tall bird ; it feeds among waters ; 

 its toes are divided; and it seems to possess 

 the natural dispositions of the crane. The 

 European spoonbill is of about the bulk of a 

 crane; but as the one is above four feet high, 

 the other is not more than three feet three 

 inches. The common colour of those of Europe 

 is a dirty white ; but those of America are of 

 a beautiful rose colour, or a delightful crim- 

 son. Beauty of plumage seems to be the pre- 

 rogative of all the birds of that continent ; and 

 we here see the most splendid tints bestowed 

 on a bird, whose figure is sufficient to destroy 

 the effects of its colouring ; for its bill is so 

 oddly fashioned, and its eyes so stupidly star- 

 ing, that its fine feathers only tend to add 

 splendour to deformity. The bill, which in 

 this bird is so very particular, is about seven 

 inches long, and running out broad at the end, 

 as its name justly serves to denote, it is there 

 about an inch and a half wide. This strangely 

 fashioned instrument in some is black; in others 

 of a light gray ; and in those of America, it 

 is of a red colour, like the rest of the body. 

 All round the upper chap there runs a kind 

 of rim, with which it covers that beneath ; 

 and as for the rest, its cheeks and its throat 

 are without feathers, and covered with a black 

 skin. 1 A bird so oddly fashioned might be 



1 The Spoonbills are voyaging birds, not very wild, 

 and show no aversion to living in a state of captivity. 

 They are found in almost all countries of the old world. 

 In Europe they are seen but seldom in the interior parts, 

 and are only passagery on some lakes or the banks of 

 rivers. They frequent the marshy coasts of Holland, 

 of Brittany, and of Picardy. They are also seen in 

 Prussia, in Silesia, and in Poland, and in summer they 

 advance as far as West Bothnia and Lapland. They 

 are again to be found on the coasts of Africa, in Egypt, 

 and at the Cape of Good Hope, where they are called 

 Slangen-wreeter, that is, serpent-eaters. Commerson has 

 seen them at Madagascar, where the islanders give them 

 the name of Funguli-am-bava, which means spade-bill. 

 The negroes in some districts call them Fang-van, and 

 in others F~ourou-Doulou, or birds of the devil. 



The White Spoonbill is an occasional, but rare visitor 

 of this country. They rise very high, and fly in waving 

 lines. Their flesh is tolerably good eating, and is des- 

 titute of the oily taste which is peculiar to most shore 

 birds. 



The Roseate Spoonbill is an American species, and is 



expected to possess some very peculiar appe- 

 tites ; but the spoonbill seems to lead a life 

 entirely resembling all those of the crane 

 kind ; and Nature, when she made the bill 

 of this bird so very broad, seems rather to have 

 sported with its form, than to aim at any final 

 cause for which to adapt it. In fact, it is but 

 a poor philosophy to ascribe every capricious 

 variety in nature to some salutary purpose : 

 in such solutions we only impose upon each 

 other, and often wilfully contradict our own 

 belief. There must be imperfections in every 

 being, as well as capacities of enjoyment. Be- 

 tween both, the animal leads a life of moderate 

 felicity ; in part making use of its many na- 

 tural advantages, and in part necessarily con. 

 forming to the imperfections of its figure. 



The shoveller chiefly feeds upon frogs, toads, 

 and serpents; of which, particularly at the 

 Cape of Good Hope, they destroy great num. 

 bers. The inhabitants of that country hold 

 them in as much esteem as the ancient Egypt- 



the Ajaja of Brazil (Marcgrave,) and the Tlauhquecul 

 of Fernandez, and Guirapita of the natives of Paraguay. 

 Its dimensions are not so great as those of the spoonbill 

 of the ancient continent. The plumage, in general, is 

 of a beautiful rose colour, while the upper part of the 

 wing and the tail-coverts, are of a lively red. Age, 

 however, operates the same changes of colour in these 

 spoonbills, as in the red curlew, and in the flamingo, 

 which in their first years are almost completely white 

 or gray. The bill and its membrane are of a yellowish- 

 green, which becomes white when the bird is terrified. 



The beak of the spoonbills is longer than that of the 

 storks, and perfectly straight. Towards the extremity 

 it expands into an oval disk of greater breadth than the 

 remainder of the bill, and rounded at the point. In the 

 adult bird, the cheeks are naked, and a tuft of long 

 narrow feathers forms a crest on the back of the head. 

 The tongue is short, triangular, and pointed; the throat 

 capable of being dilated into a pouch ; the legs long and 

 covered with large reticulated scales; the toes four in 

 number; arid the claws short, narrow, and pointed. 



The spoonbills usually frequent wooded marshes near 

 the mouths of rivers, building in preference upon the 

 taller trees, but where these are wanting taking up their 

 abode among the bushes, or even among the reeds. The 

 females usually lay three or four whitish eggs. They 

 associate together, but not in any considerable numbers, 

 and feed upon the smaller fishes and their spawn, shell- 

 fish, reptiles, and other aquatic or amphibious animals. 

 The form and flexibility of their bills are well adapted 

 for burrowing in the mud after their prey ; and the tuber- 

 cles which are placed on the inside of their mandibles 

 serve both to retain the more slippery animals and to 

 break down their shelly coverings. Their internal con- 

 formation, which is in nearly every respect similar to 

 that of the stork, is admirably suited to this kind of food. 

 They have no proper voice, the lower larynx being des- 

 titute of the muscles by which sounds are produced, arid 

 their only means of vocal expression consist in the snap- 

 ping of their mandibles, which they clatter with much 

 precipitation when under the influence of anger or 

 alarm. In captivity they are perfectly tame, living in 

 peace and concord with the other inhabitants of the 

 farm-yard, and rarely exhibiting any symptoms of wild- 

 ness or desire of change. They feed on all kinds of 

 garbage. 



