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that one visited a garden in Santa Cruz daily to catch the gold fish in a small pond, until at last 

 it was shot by the proprietor;" and he further writes (J. f. O. 1857, p. 339), "it often straggles 

 to the Canaries, and has been frequently shot there. It is said to visit and remain for a long 

 period at the Lake of Arguineguin :" Mr. Viera believes that it is a resident ; but this Dr. Bolle 

 doubts. 



In Southern Africa the present species is replaced by a closely allied form, P. tenuirostris, 

 Temm. (P. chlororhyncha, Drap.), which has the legs red, the face bare to behind the eyes, and 

 the beak yellow. 



To the eastward the Spoonbill is found in India, Siberia, and, according to Pere David, is 

 found rarely in China. 



Messrs. Dickson and Ross record the present species (P. Z. S. 1839, p. 134) as found breeding 

 at Erzeroom ; and Dr. Jerdon writes (B. of India, ii. p. 764), it " is found throughout India, not 

 perhaps in great abundance, but generally diffused, frequenting rivers, lakes, and tanks. It is 

 generally met with in small parties, occasionally in rather large flocks ; feeds in shallow water, 

 moving its bill about from side to side, and picking up various aquatic insects and larvse, small 

 Crustacea and mollusks, and also frogs and fish. It is very frequently seen in company with the 

 White Ibis, both when feeding and when flying from one part of the country to another. The 

 Spoonbill breeds, occasionally at all events, in this country, though probably many migrate to 

 Central Asia at the breeding-season." Burgess found the nest in lofty trees ; and Layard also 

 met with them in Ceylon. Colonel Sykes, who met with the Spoonbill in Dukhun, remarks 

 (P. Z. S. 1832, p. 159) that the Indian bird is a trifle larger than our European Spoonbill, but 

 otherwise is absolutely identical. Professor Schlegel (Mus. Pays-Bas, Oiconke, p. 21) includes 

 specimens from India amongst those referable to our European species, and therefore looks on 

 them as identical. Respecting the occurrence of the Spoonbill in Siberia, Dr. Radde writes that 

 he " can confirm Pallas's statement that it is to be met with annually on the lakes near the Selenga 

 and Argunj. An old bird was shot on the 17th of April, 1856, on the Onon-Borsa brook; and 

 this appears to be the time it arrives. When travelling from the mouth of the Ussuri up the 

 river I twice saw flocks of from eight to ten individuals above the mouth of the Sungari in 

 July. Mr. Rotscheff brought two old birds from the Upper Ussuri." Dr. Radde writes that the 

 Siberian bird agrees precisely with European specimens ; but I think it not improbable that the 

 Japanese species may occur there. Temminck and Schlegel (Fauna Japonica, p. 119) describe 

 two species of Spoonbill from Japan differing from each other chiefly in size, but from our 

 European bird in having a longer bill, devoid of ridges on the upper surface, and purer in colour 

 (in the description brownish yellow, but in the illustration pure yellow), and the naked portion 

 of the throat is smaller. Of these two species the one, PL major (torn. tit. p. 119, pi. lxxv.), 

 has the face much less bare than the second, PL minor {torn. cit. p. 120, pi. lxxvi.), being also 

 larger in size. Professor Schlegel (Mus. Pays-Bas, Ciconiw, p. 21) unites these two species, 

 stating that they vary considerably in size ; but he still keeps the Japanese species, under the 

 name of Platalea major, separate from our Spoonbill, which, he states, is replaced by that species 

 in Japan and Southern China. Mr. Swinhoe records a Spoonbill, under the name of PL leucorodia, 

 as occurring at Amoy and between Takoo and Pekin ; but, as above stated, Professor Schlegel 

 refers the Chinese bird to PL major. In Australia there are two species : — P. melanorhynchos, 



