WHITE SPOONBILL. 
643 
pure white, with the exception of the lower part 
of the neck, which is yellowish buff, becoming 
paler behind : the naked space round the eyes 
and on the throat pale yellow; the base of the 
latter part slightly tinged with rufous. The female 
has not so fine a crest, and has the yellow hue on 
the breast paler. The young are white, with the 
shafts of the quills black : the head is clothed with 
short and rounded feathers : the beak is deep grey, 
and is covered with a smooth skin : the irides are 
grey : the orbits are dull white. The yellow on 
the breast does not make its appearance till the 
third year. 
The Spoonbill appears to be a general inhabitant 
of the old continent : it frequents the borders of 
rivers and the sea coasts, migratingwiththe Herons 
and Storks. In England it is scarce. Pennant 
mentions that a flock migrated into the marshes 
near Yarmouth, in Norfolk, in April 1774 , and 
since that time two have been shot on the southern 
coast of Devonshire, and are now in the British 
Museum. The nest is placed on high trees near 
the sea side : the female lays three or four white 
eggs, marked with a few pale red spots, but 
occasionally they are spotless : during breeding 
time it is very clamorous. It feeds upon fish, 
frogs, snails, insects, and aquatic worms, and also 
grass and weeds that grow in the water. Its flesh 
is said to have the flavour of a Goose, and is very 
high coloured when dressed, and free from any 
fishy taste. 
