272 The Philippine Journal of Science me 



are the feeding grounds of thousands of plovers, sandpipers, 

 and similar shore birds. In November, 1910, headquarters were 

 established at Obando, Bulacan Province, from where it was 

 possible to inspect a large area by means of a banca. 



On November 13 a flock of about one hundred common herons, 

 Ardea cinerea Linnseus, was seen on the low land near Balauarte 

 barrio. This was an event of importance, for this large heron 

 has seldom been seen in the Islands and there is no definite rec- 

 ord of its occurrence in Luzon.^ With the herons were two 

 white birds, which were easily recognized as spoonbills. The 

 spatulate bill was distinctly seen. Both herons and spoonbills 

 maintained a safe distance between themselves and our guns. 



Two days later one spoonbill was observed with the flock of 

 herons. These birds were very shy, and several attempts to 

 stalk the spoonbills were fruitless. During flight this bird 

 appeared to be of about the same size as Egretta garzetta, and 

 the bill was very conspicuous because of its size and shape. The 

 spoonbill sailed much more than the herons and seemed to be 

 stronger and steadier in flight. 



The spoonbill was well known to my boatmen and others, 

 who stated that it was not common, but was sometimes seen 

 in small flocks. They said that in feeding a distinct clicking 

 sound was produced by the opening and closing of the bill. The 

 local name for this species is sudsud. In November, 1912, Ce- 

 lestino was sent to Obando, but failed to see a specimen of the 

 spoonbill. In 1914 the same collector was sent to Dagupan, 

 Pangasinan Province, where he secured a slightly immature 

 female spoonbill on October 26 (Bureau of Science collection. 

 No. 13274). This was the only individual seen. The length of 

 this specimen, taken in the flesh, was 750 millimeters. Measure- 

 ments taken from the skin are: Wing, 360 millimeters; tail 

 (imperfect), 100; culmen from feathers, 178; occipital crest, 

 30 ; bill from nostril, 153 ; greatest width of bill, 48 ; least width 

 of bill, 17 ; tarsus, 123 ; middle toe with claw, 90 ; hind toe with 

 claw, 42. 



The color notes taken by the collector are: 



Ojos pardo, pies y unas negro, pico pardo blanquizco, el borde de los ojos 

 negro hasta la garganta. 



There is a full, broad occipital crest, which is 30 millimeters 

 long. The plumage is entirely white except parts of some of 

 the wing feathers. The shafts of the remiges and of the feathers 



'Man. Phil. Birds (1909), 164. 



