"TT 



PLATA Li:iD.K — TFIK SI'OON'IULLS - A.IA.fA. 



103 



Sr. CilAU. Ailiilt : Himl tut inly hare. N'crk, Imck, iind luvuMt, wliilf ; tail oriuiKu-luitr, tliu 

 slmt'ts iif llic fi'iillifix (lt'f|i iiiiik, llic iiiiici' uilw iiM liiiiiij,' to pulu [>iiik. UuMt of the iiliiiminu imlu 

 iiMf-piiik, till! Il'um'V \viiij,'-riivi'it.s' n'j,'i()ii, uml ii|i|i('r ami Inwcr luil-cnvcitM, luilliurit, iiiteiim' tur- 

 iiiiii". Jii^'iiluiii willi a liil't <>r li^'lil raniiiiu', Hotiiculiat twisicil, or i'iiiIimI, iiariow |>Iiiiiu!m. SjiUm 

 of tlif lpiva-<t, at lia-f of tin' \\iii;,',M (coiicralcil \>y \\w laltiT), pale ircainy Imll". " liill yullowiHli 

 uniy at lliu Uuhv, mottlcil with luovviiiMli I.Lick, in llie lusl ul iln cxtfiit palu );riLiii»li iilin', ii^^lit on 

 tlie iimrKiiiH; lm«c of iiiai^'iii of lower iiiaiulililt! k''^'"'''*'' yt'llow ; iris l.ri^^iit laniiiiu' ; fed [lalo 

 lake ; claws lirowiii.Hli lilark ; linid yuUowiah jjri'fii ; hihicu uroimJ tLu uyu ami llie milar mho 



(iipiiiiL'iit-oraiij,'!' ; a liainl of Mack from the lower iiiamliMc to tlic orcipiit" (ArnrnoN). Imma- 

 Inn:: Like the ailull, liut lackiii),' llic liriiliaul liiriiiiiic of llic lesser wiiii,'-coverts' re;,'ioii, tail- 

 Kiverts, etc., these portions beiuj,' pale iieacli-iilossoni pink. Tail ileli<'ate peacli-Mossoni pink, 

 instead of (jranj,'e-1mlf. Xiidial ami pectoral colored tufts alisent. Vniiiiii: Head completely featli- 

 ered, except ininiediatelv around tiie liase of the liill. Head, neck, hack, ami anterior lower parts 

 white, in some specimens more or less tin),'ed, especially ahove,' with orani,'i'-liulf ; \vinj,'s, tail, and 

 posterior part of the hody delicate pale pea(di-hlossoni ]iink, the shafts of the remij,'es and rectrices 

 deeper pink. Outer wehs of alulii", outer primary-coverts, and w'uht horders to outer [irimaries 

 (principally on outer wehs), clear snutl'-hrown. 



[NoTi;. ^We have not seen the younj,' in down, nor when fust feathered. The latter is 

 descrilied hy Audubon as lollows ; — "The younj,', . . . when able to lly, . . . are grayish white. 

 The bill is tiien ([uite smoolli, of a yello\vish-),'reen color, as are the lens ami feet, as W(dl a.s thu 

 skill on part of the head. Voun^' liirds in their second year have the \vinj,'s and the lower wing- 

 coverts of a pale roseate tint, the bill more richly coloretl, and the lej,'H and feet dark brownish red 

 I'f purplish. At this a<,'i! they are unadorneil with the curlinj,' feathers on the breast ; but in the 

 third sprinj,' the bird is perfect, althou^'h it increases in size for several seasons after."] 



Length, about 2H.(K1-:)1.(M> ; expanse, 48.W)-.'>3.(H) ; win-,', 14. lO-lo.UO ; tail, 4.20-.'i.20 ; cul- 

 nieii, (i.:2()-7.i."> ; width of bill, H.OO-i.H) ; tarsus, ;).75-4.(i5 ; middle toe, 2.95-3.35 ; bare portion 

 uf tibiii, 2. 80-3.20. 



All the American Spoonbills examined by us appear to belonj,' to a single species. Jfr. W. H. 

 [Indson, however, who resided for a number of years in l')Uenos Ayres, entertained the belief that 

 there are two species of Spoonbills in that country ; and, without at all sharing in this belief, we 

 submit his arguments in its favor, as follows : — 



"In reference to the Uose-colored Spoonbills of America, I believe ornitludogists have been 

 mistaken in referring them all to one species. 



"Whether two or only one s])ecies existed wa.s a moot question a century ago ; it has been 

 decided that there is but one, tlu' Phitalea ajujti, and that the paler-jduniaged birds, with feathered 

 heads and black eyes, and without the bright wing-spot.s, the tuft on the breast, horny excrescences 

 on the beak, and other marks, are only immature birds. Now it is (juite po.ssible the young of 

 ]'. (tjaja resembles the common Uose-colored Spooid)ill of Buenos Ayres; but in that country, for 

 one bird with all the characteristic marks of an adult P. ujaja, we meet with not less, I am sure, 

 than two or three hundred examples of the paler bird without any trace of such marks. 



" This fact of itself might incline one to believe that there are two distinct species, and that the 

 common Platalea of Buenos Ayres inhabits the temperate regions south of the range of the true 

 P. ajaja. 



1 Qu, An occidental stain I 



