SPATULA CLYPEATA (Bole). 
THE SHOVELLER: SPOONBILL DUCK. 
Specific Character.—Head and neck, dark metallic bluish green, much duller 
than in (Anas boschas) ; breast and outer scapulars white, the former sometimes 
spotted with dusky ; entire abdomen and sides uniform chestnut ; crissum dark 
metallic bluish green, bounded anteriorly by a band of finely undulated grayish 
white; back and inner scapulars dusky, the feathers sometimes bordered with 
white, longer lanceolate scapulars marked with a _ mesial lanceolate 
stripe of white; wing coverts light grayish blue, the last row tipped 
with white ; forming a narrow band across the wing ; speculum bright 
metallic green, very narrowly tipped with white; tertials dusky black 
with faint green reflections, and marked toward the end with an indistinct mesial 
stripe of grayish white; primaries and their coverts dull slaty gray; rump and 
upper tail coverts black, the former with faint, the latter with bright green 
reflections ; rectrices chiefly grayish white, the middle ones dark grey, edged 
with white ; bill deep black; iris bright yellow; legs and feet beautiful orange red. 
Female.—Wings as in the male but colours duller. Other parts grayish brown 
above varied with brownish white ; brownish white below. 
Total length about 20.00 inches; extent, 32.00; wing, 9.00; culmen, 2.60; 
tarsus, 1.50; middle toe, 1.70. 
Habitat.—The whole of the Northern Hemisphere ; Australia. Breeding from 
Texas to Alaska wintering as far south as Guatemala and Cuba. 
The Shoveller is distributed over the greater part of the old as well as the 
new world. It is found in North America, Europe and Asia, throughout Africa, 
etc., etc. It is not a very numerous species and yet is found so widely distributed. 
In Ontariothe Spoonbill is not very common and yet at almost any of the principal 
shooting stations a few are seen and shot every autumn. This bird generally breeds 
far north, although a few breed throughout more southern localities. The writer 
noticed a pair in the marsh near Dunnville, Ont., on the Grand River about June 
1st, 1886. and was told by local sportsmen that they had been observed there for 
a week or two. This pair of Spoonbills remained and raised a fine brood of five 
young ones. Their nest, though not seen, was in the midst of a large wet marsh. 
The same pair returned to the same locality in May of 1887 and raised another 
brood, since which time they have not returned. This bird is considered by 
epicures as very tender and juicy. 
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