36 The Zoologist — January, 1866. 



could not be approached directly, employed a third person to go 

 round through the farm-yard and drive them, while they concealed 

 themselves under a bank where some overhanging bushes formed a 

 good screen. This plan had the desired effect, for the birds came 

 right over them, and were both killed. I was informed by one of the 

 gunners, and by soine labourers who saw these spoonbills on the wing, 

 that they flew like herons, but a good deal faster and with the neck 

 stretched out at full length like a duck, instead of being thrown back 

 heron-like between the shoulders. They were not heard to utter any 

 note. 



I found on examination that they were male and female birds of the 

 year. The bill, of a brownish flesh-colour, darker towards the tip, 

 was in both very soft and weak, that of the male bird being the darker 

 of the two. The chin and lore completely bare ; the former of a 

 yellow, and the latter of a grayisli colour. A remarkable feature was 

 the wonderfully small tongue in coni))arison with the length of bill, 

 the one being not more than an eighth part of the length of the 

 other. 



There was no appearance of a crest in either bird, nor was there any 

 trace of buff-colour on the breast. 



I was scarcely able to deten»ine the true colour of the eye, since 

 the bird had been dead more than forty-eight hours, but, as far as one 

 could judge by appearances, the irides were hazel with black pupils. 

 The upper portions of the plumage were of a dirty white colour, darker 

 on the back and scapulars, the under parts of a purer white. All the 

 quill-fealhers white, with black shafts, presenting a very curious and 

 pretty appearance when expanded. The first four quill-feathers 

 white, with dark brown tips ; the first with a dark brown stripe on 

 outer web; the second, first half of outer web brown, second half 

 white ; the third and fourth with outer webs nearly all white. The 

 first quill shortest, the second longest in the wing. The tail square 

 and white ; the legs black. The feet much webbed, and with the 

 under surface very perceptibly concave. The respective measurements 

 of each were as follows: — 



