100 



ALTUIUIAL (illAI-LATORKS — IIEUODIONES. 



several other kinds of birds, wt-rt- brtfediiiK tluMr j iind not unt'requently nests of all 

 these dift'erent species were placed within a tew feet of one anotlier ; Imt in general 

 the different species preferred to form, each for itstdf, a little nestiuf,' {,'rouii of ten 

 or fifteen pairs. The reeds f,MTW iiiitiiniUy to a height of about six feet alxivc the 

 surface of the water; but tiiey were either l)eaten down to form a support for the 

 nests, or else dead and partly floating stalks of the previous year wert; used for tliat 

 purpose. It was impossii)le to i'oriu any estimate of the uundM-r of tiiis s]tecies nest- 

 ing there. As he ai)i)roaci .'d the s[)ot many weri' seen about tiie edges of tlio lagoon, 

 or flying to ami from nuu'e di.staut teeding-grouuds. On firing a gun a pj-rfect mass 

 of birds arose, witli a noise like thunder, from the entire bed of reeds, but they soon 

 settled down again. 



lioth the nests and the eggs of this Ibis were (piite unlike those of any of the 

 Herons, and could be distinguished at a glance. The nests were ma<le of broken bits 

 of dead tules, supported by and attached to lu'oken and upright stalks of living ones. 

 Tiiey were well and compactly built, and were usually distinctly cup])ed, and (piite 

 unlike the clvnu.sy platforms of the Herons. Karly in May in the following year 

 Dr. Merrill revisited this heronry ; but there were no nests and but few birds to i)e 

 seen : they had evidently moved to some other locality, where there were similar 

 beds of reeds ; but he was prevented by sickness from making any farther investi- 

 gations. 



The eggs were found to be nearly always three in number, and at the time of his 

 visit — the middle of ]\lay — were far advanced in incubation. Many of the nests 

 contained young of all sizes. By a careful measurement of fifty examples. Dr. Merrill 

 ascertained the average size of the egg of this species to be l.Oo liy l.'.io, the extremes 

 being 2.20 by 1.49, and 1.73 by 1.2!). Tliese eggs are decidedly pointed at the 

 smaller end, and are of a deep bluish-green color. 



Family PLATALEID^^:. — The Spoonbills. 



Platalcidoc, Boxap. 1849 ; Consp. II. 1855, 146. 



el 



In 



If 



CiiAR. Large-sized Ibis-like birds, with the bill greatly flattened and expanded 

 terminally. Bill deep through the base (the culmen ascending), but immediately 

 flattened ; nan-owest across the middle portion, the end widely expanded, the tip 

 rounded and decurved. Nostrils superior, longitudinal, without surrounding or 

 overhanging membrane; nasal fossa? prolonged forward in a narrow, continuous 

 groove to the extreme tip of the bill (as in the Ibises), its course nearly (or in 

 some genera quite) parallel with the lateral outline of the maxilla ; approximate 

 surfaces of maxilla and mandible with one or two rows of more or less prominent 

 tooth-like papillfe along each side. Tarsus longer than middle toe, and with small 

 longitudinal hexagonal scales in front ; outer toe decidedly longer than inner, its 

 claw reaching to the base of the middle claw; hallux nearly incumbent, about 

 equal to the basal phalanx of the inner toe ; bare portion of tibia longer than outer 

 toe ; web between inner and middle toes well developed. Wings ample, reaching 

 about to the end of the tail, the primaries a little longer than the tertials. Tail 

 short, even, of twelve stiff, broad, round-ended feathers. 



