ANATINJ: — THE DUCKS — SPATULA. 



525 





Genus SPATULA, Boie. 



Spatida, Boie, Isis, 1822, 564 (type, Anaschjimita, Li.w.). 



RUyncluispis, "Leach," Stepiiens, Slmw's Gen. Zool. XIL ii. 1824, 114 (same typo). 



Char. Bill longer than the head, much expanded, or almost spatulate, terminally, where about 

 twice as wide a.s at the compressed base ; maxillary laiuelho very thin, len<,'theiied, almost com- 

 pletely exposed posteriorly, where resembling the teeth of a fine comb. Tail short, the leathers 

 acute. 



Of this very curious and well-marked genus, in which, however, there is littl" that is jieculiar 

 except in the form of the bill, about five species are known — one occurring throughout the north- 

 ern hemisphere, tiie others peculiar to Soutii America, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. 

 In the two American species and that from Australia there is a very close resemblance in the 

 coloration of tiie wing to certain species of Qncrquahda (e. g. discors and njanoptcm) ; while in 

 the Australian species (,S'. rlnjuchotis) this curious analogy is carried still farther, the coloration of 

 the head, including the white crescentic bar across the lores, being almost exactly as in Q. discors. 



The characters of the two American and the Australian species are as follows : — 



.-jr^»Vfl»' 



S. clypeaUt. 



Com. Char, (adult males). Le.sser wing-coverts pale dull blue ; middle coverts Ijroadly tipjied 

 with white ; s])eculum bron:',e-green ; tertials striped centrally with white ; lower parts chestnut- 

 rufous ; a white patch at the base of the tail, on each side. 



A< Culmeu nearly straight, slightly ilepressed in the middle ; feathering at base of maxilla, on 

 each side extending forward as far as that im the foreheail. 



1. S. olypeata. Head and neck dull dark green ; jugulum white. Hah. Northern hemi- 



spiiert'. 



2. S. rhynohotlB. Head and neck dull brownish gray, faintly glossed with glaucous-green 



on the nape ; the anterior i)art of the head marked on each side by a white crescentic 

 bar across the lore ; jugulum dusky, marked with buff. Jhdt. Australia. 

 B> Culmen decidecUy concave in the middle portion ; feathering at the lia.se of the maxilla on 

 each sidi', furming a stniight vertical line. 



3. S. platalea. Head and neck buff, speckled with ilusky ; jugulum light cinnamon, spotted 



with black. Hnh. Southern South America. 



The genus Spatula has a near relative in the cm'um'* Midnrnrhjinehuii mfvihranaceiui of Aus- 

 tralia, which has tt somewhat similar but still more nmarkable bill, and differs further in the 



