GRALLATORES. 169 



With a view of ascertaining what food they had 

 recently obtained, I carefully examined the stomach 

 of each. That of the female was almost empty, 

 with the exception of a few small fish-bones (from 

 their size, probably roach), a small mass of vegetable 

 fibre, together with the fruit of a Sparganium and a 

 single carpal of a Potamogeton, probably P. pecti- 

 natus. That of the male was distended with a larger 

 quantity of small bones and remains of fish. The 

 bones had the appearance of being ground up small, 

 being all very much of one size, although the inner 

 coating of the stomach was by no means rough or 

 hard, and there were no traces of gravel or quartz, 

 nor, indeed, of any substance which would produce 

 or aid such a result. 



I was informed by two or three persons who saw 

 these Spoonbills on the wing, that they flew like 

 Herons, but faster, and with the head and neck 

 stretched out like a Duck instead of being thrown 

 back, Heron-like, between the shoulders. They 

 were not heard to utter any note. I examined the 

 birds carefully with a view to ascertain whether they 

 had escaped from confinement, but as the wings 

 were quite perfect, the tail-feathers not in the least 

 worn, and the whole plumage, although immature, 

 yet in good order, I have no doubt that the birds 

 were really wild. Moving southwards at the approach 

 of winter, and tempted, no doubt, to make a resting- 

 place of the expansive reservoir above-named (which 



Q 



