50 



gives a most interesting resume on the former breeding of 

 the Spoonbill in England. He writes : " The Calendar of 

 Patent Rolls of Edw. I. shews (p. 546) the issue in 1300 

 of a commission to enquire who carried off the eyries of 

 these birds (" poplorum") at several places in Norfolk, and 

 Mr. Harting (Zool. 1886, pp. 81 et seqq.) cites a case from 

 the "Year-Book," of 14 Hen. VIII. (1523), wherein the 

 Bishop of London (Cuthbert Tunstall) maintained an action 

 of trespass against a tenant at Fulhani for taking Herons 

 and " Shovelars " that made their nests on the trees there, 

 and has also printed (Zool. 1877, p. 425) a document 

 shewing that " Shovelers " bred in certain woods in west 

 Sussex in 1570. In George Owen's Description of Pem- 

 brokeshire, written in 1602 (ed. 1892, p. 131), the " Shovler " 

 was stated to breed " on highe trees " in that county, and 

 nearly sixty years later (circa 1662) Sir Thomas Browne, 

 in his Account of Birds found in Norfolk (Works, ed. 

 Wilkin, iv, pp. 315, 316), stated of the " Platea or Shoue- 

 lard " that it formerly " built in the Hernerie at Claxton 

 and Reedharn, now at Trimley in Suffolk." This last 

 seems to be the latest known proof of the breeding of the 

 species in England ; but that it was in the fullest sense 

 of the word a " native " of England and Wales is thus 

 incontestably shown." 



Geographical distribution. The Spoonbill breeds in 

 many countries in the south and south-east of Europe, 

 as well as in Holland. In India it is a familiar nesting- 

 species, and it is found in many other countries of Southern 

 as well as Central Asia. It also breeds in North Africa and 

 the adjoining Islands. On its vernal migration it seldom 

 reaches north of the latitude of the British Isles. This 

 species was first obtained in Heligoland on July 14th, 1892 

 (Saunders). 



DESCRIPTIVE CHARACTERS. 



PLUMAGE. Adult male nuptial. Pure white, except a 

 tinge of yellow on the front of the neck and head-plumes. 



Adult female nuptial. Similar in plumage to the male, 

 but the crest is shorter. 



Adult winter, male and female. The head-plumes are 

 absent. 



Immature, male and female. Shafts and tips of pri- 

 maries, black ; head-plumes, absent. 



