1HE SPOON-BILL. 169 



a local bird, requiring certain conditions of life not to be found 

 in every country, and in the portions of Northern France 

 where it used to nest, it no longer breeds, though it still does 

 so, in a limited way, in Holland, where it is protected. It nests 

 in Europe generally south of 56 N. lat., and especially in Spain 

 and on the Danube, extending thence to Central Asia, India, 

 and even to Japan, but its place in China is taken by P. minor. 

 In Africa our Spoon-bill extends its range to North-eastern 

 Africa as far as Socotra. 



Habits. To learn the ways of the Spoon-bill, a visit must be 

 paid to the marshes which it frequents, and as the drainage of 

 the fen lands and meres proceeds in Holland, as it has done 

 in the bird's haunts in England, the species is becoming more 

 and more rare, and the opportunities of observing it more 

 difficult. It arrives in Europe in April, the earliest seen by 

 Colonel Irby at Gibraltar being on the Qth of that month, 

 and eggs are taken in Southern Spain early in May. Birds 

 have been seen, however, by Major Verner in the same coun- 

 try as early as the 2oth of February, and they leave Northern 

 Europe in September and migrate in the south during October. 



Mr. Seebohm says that the Spoon-bill frequents open swamps 

 and low-lying ground near the sea, rather than the centre of 

 dense reed-beds and rush-covered marshes. It may sometimes 

 be seen in swampy meadows, in similar localities to those 

 which the White Stork loves to frequent. It walks about 

 slowly and sedately, and, when alarmed, it often flies to a tall 

 tree, where, perched perhaps on the topmost bough, it is a very 

 conspicuous object for a great distance. It is very fond of 

 frequenting mud-flats, searching them with its peculiar bill for 

 food. It is rather shy, and seldom allows the observer to ap- 

 proach it very closely. The food of the Spoon-bill is largely 

 composed of crustaceans, molluscs, and small insects, which 

 it catches with its broad bill, using it in the same manner that 

 a Duck does. To this fare is added small fish, frogs, and 

 quantities of vegetable matter, such as the buds and leaves of 

 water-plants, and probably grass. The Spoon-bill does not 

 appear ever to utter any note, beyond making a sharp snapping 

 sound with its bill. 



Nest. In India the Spoon-bill breeds in trees in company 



