28 ON THE NESTING OF THE SPOONBILL IN HOLLAND. 



eggs, from different nests, laid since the last collection had been made. 

 During all the time that we were in the reed-beds the Cormorants and 

 Spoonbills were floating about over our heads, fully aware that there was 

 an enemy in the camp. We were told that there were several other 

 nesting-places of the Spoonbill in different parts of the Horster Meer, 

 containing altogether several thousand nests ; so that we may hope 

 that it will be some time before this fine bird becomes extinct in this 

 locality. 



The only other bird we found nesting in the Horster Meer was the 

 Black Tern, of which we captured two young chicks. 



After refreshing ourselves at the hostelry of Overmeer, we returned to 

 Amsterdam in the evening by a different route, highly satisfied with our 

 day with the Spoonbills. 



We may observe, in conclusion, that on looking over Mr. Dresser's 

 account of the Spoonbill in his ' Birds of Europe,' we find him quoting 

 from Schlegel that this bird " is found in the neighbourhood of the large 

 rivers, at Biesboch, Nieuwerkerk, on the Tssel at B-ozenburg, and on the 

 Maas ; and breeds in Holland, arriving there in April and leaving in 

 September." Again, a few pages further on, Mr. Dresser says, "It 

 breeds in Holland ; but I do not find any record of its having of late 

 been found nesting elsewhere in Northern Europe, though in Hungary 

 p' 416. ' an ^ South-eastern Europe it breeds numerously." In Mr. Gould's folio, 

 too, no more detailed account is given, with the exception of the record 

 of Sclater's unsuccessful expedition ten years ago. Now our experiences 

 as to the position of the Spoonbill's nest certainly agree with the details 

 given by Messrs. Dickson and Ross, who met with it breeding near 

 Erzeroum (P. Z. S. 1839, p. 134) ; and this seems to have been the fullest 

 account known to Mr. Dresser at the time of writing his article. So, 

 although there seems to be no reasonable doubt that in some cases it 

 nests in lofty trees, we may claim to have established the fact that in 

 Holland it breeds on the ground among the reed-beds, and to be able to 

 assure those naturalists who happen to be in Amsterdam at the right 

 time that there is no better way of spending a spare day than an excur- 

 sion to the Spoonbills' nesting-place on the Horster Meer. 



We cannot conclude this short account of a most delightful day 

 without thanking Mr. Hegt most heartily for his kind arrangements for 

 our trip, without which we should probably have encountered con- 

 siderable difficulty in reaching our destination. It is to be feared that 

 in England we could hardly promise to show our friends an equally 

 interesting sight in such close proximity to our metropolis ! 



