ANATIN^ — THE DUCKS — SPATULA. 



525 



Genus SPATULA, Boie. 



Spatula, Boie, Isis, 1822, 564 (type, Anas dypeata, Linn.). 



Hhi/HcJiaspis, "Leach," Stepuen.s, Shaw's Geu. Zool. XIL ii. 1824, 114 (same type). 



Char. Bill longer than the head, much expanded, or almo.'t spntulate, terminally, where about 

 twice as wide as at the compres.sed base ; maxillary lamellce very thin, lengthened, almost com- 

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

 acute. 



Of this very curious and well-marked genus, in which, however, there is little that is peculiar 

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

 ern hemisphere, the othere peculiar to South 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 the wing to certain species of Querquedula (e. g. discors and cyanojiteni) ; while in 

 the Australian species {B. rhynchotis) 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 : — 



S. dypeata. 



Com. Char, (adult males). Lesser wing-coverts pale dull blue ; middle coverts broadly tipped 

 with white ; speculum l.iroiize-green ; tertials striped centrally with white ; lower parts chestnut- 

 rufous ; a white patch at the l)ase of the tail, on each side. 



A. Culnien nearly straight, slightly depressed in the middle ; feathering at base of maxilla, on 



each silk- extending forward as far as that on the forehead. 



1. S. clypeata. Hea<l and neck dull dark green ; jugulum white. Hab. Northern hemi- 



sphere. 



2. S. rhynchotis. Head and neck dull browniish gray, faintly glossed with glaucous-green 



on the nape ; the anterior part of the head marked on each .side by a white crescentic 

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



B. Culmen decidedly concave in the middle portion ; feathering at the ba.se of the maxilla on 



each side, forming a straight vertical line. 



3. S. platalea. Head and neck buff, speckled witli dusky ; jugulum light cinnamon, .spotted 



with black. Hab. Southern South America. 



The genus SjMtula has a near relative in the curious Malacorliynchns m^mbrajmceus of Aus- 

 tralia, which has a somewhat similar but still more remarkable bill, and differs further in the 



