686 



U. S. p. R. K. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



Family PLATALEIDAE. 



Ch. — Bill completely depressed, very broad, and widening at the rounded tip. 



No more detailed description is needed to characterize the spoon-bills, of which seven or 

 eight species are described by authors. 



PLATALEA, L. 



Platalea, Linn. Syst. Nat. 1735. Type Plalalea leucorodia. (Gray.) 



Ch. — Bill -very broad, excessively depressed, and spatulate or greatly widened to the rounded tip; the mandibles in close 

 apposition ; the edges not lamellar. Head bald in the adult American species. Legs rather shorter than in typical herons ; tibia 

 and tarsi covered throughout with small hexagonal scales ; the former bare for nearly one-half. Toes webbed at the base ; the 

 outer longer than the inner ; the middle claw not pectinated. Middle toe nearly as long as the tarsus ; hind toe rather long. 



Comparative measurements. 



PLATALEA AJAJA, Linn. 

 Rosy Spoon-bill. 



Plalaka ajaja, Linn. 1, 1766, 231. — Gmelin, I, 614. — Wilson, Am. Orn. VII, 1813, 123 ; pi. Ixii, (two years old.) — 

 Bon. Obs. 1825, No. 185.— Ib. Conspectus, 11, 1855, 146.— Nuttall, Man. II, 1834, 79— Wagler, 

 Isis, 1831, 530.— Aun. Orn. Biog. IV, 1838, 188, pi. 131.— Ib. Syn.— Ib. Birds Amer. VI, 1843,' 72 ; 

 pi. 362.— GuNDLACH, Cab. Jour. IV, 1866, 347. 



Platea incarnata, Sloan, Hist. Jam. II, 316. 

 Roseate spoon-bill, Latham. 



Mult. — Head all round and nape naked. General color rosy red ; paler anteriorly, and nearly white on the neck. Leaser 

 wing coverts, with upper and lower tail coverts and lower part of throat, intense carmine. Tail feathers brownish ochre yellow. 

 Naked skin of head yellowish green. Bill mostly greenish blue in life. 



Younger with the head feathered, except around the base of the bill, and around and a little behind the eye. Similar in color, 

 but the carmine wanting and the tail rosy. 



Length, 30 inches ; wing, 15 ; tarsus, 4 ; bill above, 7. 



Hab. — South Atlantic and Gulf States. 



List of specimens. 



