Spoonpinn. GRALLATORES. PLATALEA. 53 
he dissected was a female, and yet possessed the flexure to the 
extent above described ; and this indiscriminate characteris- 
tic was corroborated by the dissection of the specimens I 
obtained. 
PiarE X. represents the male, of the natural size, as drawn 
from the recently killed bird, as above described, from 
Norfolk, in May 1830. 
Bill eight inches and a half in length, black, except the General 
tip, which, for about one inch or upwards, is ochre- peor 
yellow ; the base and upper surface is rugose, from the Adult bird. 
depth of the transverse furrows. The naked skin of 
the forehead, the space round the eyes, and the throat 
are yellow; the latter passing into reddish-pink, where 
it comes in contact with the feathers of the neck. Irides 
venous-red. Crown and hind part of the head with a full 
crest of narrow, elongated, and canaliculated feathers, 
pointing backwards, and which the bird can raise or de- 
press at pleasure. Whole of the body pure white, with 
the exception of a collar or gorget of ochreous yellow, 
which passes round the junction of the neck and breast, 
pointing upwards to the shoulders. The legs and toes 
are black ; the tibiae naked for four inches above the 
tarsal joint. ‘Tibi and tarsi entirely covered with 
hexagonal scales. The middle toe three inches long 
-(being one-half the length of the tarsus), and joined to 
the outer one by a web, as far as the second joint ; and 
to the inner one as far as the first joint. Claws short, 
and nearly straight. Hind toe rather long, and resting 
on the ground for two-thirds of its length. 
The plumage of the female is similar to that of the male 
bird, but the crest is not so long, and the yellow pecto- 
ral band not so bright in colour. 
Previous to the acquisition of the mature plumage, the Young 
Spoonbill is without the crest. The bill also is paler in bird. 
colour, and has not the furrows that cause the rough. 
