SPOONBILL. GRALLATORES. PLATALEA. 53 



he dissected was a female, and yet possessed the flexure to the 

 extent above described ; and this indiscriminate characteris- 

 tic was corroborated by the dissection of the specimens I 

 obtained. 



PLATE X. represents the male, of the natural size, as drawn 

 from the recently killed bird, as above described, from 

 Norfolk, in May 1830. 



Bill eight inches and a half in length, black, except the General 

 tip, which, for about one inch or upwards, is ochre- descrip- 

 yellow ; the base and upper surface is rugose, from the Adu ' lt bird 

 depth of the transverse furrows. The naked skin of 

 the forehead, the space round the eyes, and the throat 

 are yellow ; the latter passing into reddish-pink, where 

 it comes in contact with the feathers of the neck. Irides 

 venous-red. Crown and hind part of the head with a full 

 crest of narrow, elongated, and canaliculated feathers, 

 pointing backwards, and which the bird can raise or de- 

 press at pleasure. Whole of the body pure white, with 

 the exception of a collar or gorget of ochreous yellow, 

 which passes round the junction of the neck and breast, 

 pointing upwards to the shoulders. The legs and toes 

 are black ; the tibiae naked for four inches above the 

 tar sal joint. Tibiae and tarsi entirely covered with 

 hexagonal scales. The middle toe three inches long 

 (being one-half the length of the tarsus), and joined to 

 the outer one by a web, as far as the second joint ; and 

 to the inner one as far as the first joint. Claws short, 

 and nearly straight. Hind toe rather long, and resting 

 on the ground for two- thirds of its length. 

 The plumage of the female is similar to that of the male 

 bird, but the crest is not so long, and the yellow pecto- 

 ral band not so bright in colour. 



Previous to the acquisition of the mature plumage, the young 

 Spoonbill is without the crest. The bill also is paler in bird - 

 colour, and has not the furrows that cause the rough- 



