BIRDS — ANATINAE — SPATULA CLYPEATA. 



781 



SPATULA, Boie. 



Spatula, Boie, Ibis, 1833, 564. Type Anas clypeata, L. 



Rhynchaspis, "Leach," Stephens, Shaw's Gen. Zool. XII, ii, 18S4. Same type. 



Ch. — Bill much longer than the head and spatulate, widening to the end, where it is twice as broad as at the base. Nail long 

 and narrow. Lamellae of the upper mandible very close, delicate, and lengthened, projecting far below the lower edge. Tail 

 acute, less than half the wing. 



Of several species belonging to this genus, but one is found in the United States. Its essential 

 characters are as follows : 



Lesser and middle wing coverts and portion of tertials blue.; cinerated portion of greater 

 coverts brown, tipped with white ; speculum grass green. Some of the tertials streaked with 

 white. 



Head and neck green ; breast, unspotted white ; underparts, purplish chestnut. Tail covert 

 greenish, ,, S. clypeata. 



List of specimens. 



SPATULA CLYPEATA, Boie, 



Shoveller; Spoonliill. 



Jinaa clypeata, Linn, Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 200.— Gmelin, I, 518.— Lath. Ind. II, 1790, 856. — Wilson, Am. Orn. 



VIII, 1814 ; pi. Ixvii.— Bon. Obs. 1825, No. 255 — Sw. F. Bor. Am. II, 1831, 439.— Aud. Orn. 



Biog. IV, 1838, 241 ; pi. 337.— Ib. Syn. 283.— Ib. Bird's Amer, VI, 1843, ^93; pl. 394, 

 Spatiila clypeata, Boie, Isis, 1822, 564. 

 Spathuka clypeata, Flemins . 



Jlnas (Spathulea) clypeata, Nutt, Man. II, 1834, 373. 

 Rhynehaspsis clypeata, (Leach) Stephens, Shaw's Gen. Zool. XII, 1824, 115. — Bon . List, 1838 . — Etton, Mon, 



Anat. 1838, 134. 

 Anas rubens, Gmelin, Syst. Nat, I, 1788, 519. 

 Shoveller, Pennant, II, 557. — Lath. Syn. Ill, ii, 509. 



Sp. CH.t-Hea,d and neck green; fore part and sides of the breast, with greater portion of seapulars, and the sides of the base 

 of the tail, white ; rest of under parts dull purplish chestnut ; crisaura, rump, and upper tail coverts, black, the latter glossed 

 with green. Wing coverts blue ; the posterior row brown in the concealed portion, and tipped with white ; longest tertials 

 blue, streaked internally with white ; others velvet green, streaked centrally with white ; speculum grass green, edged very 

 narrowly behind with black and then with white. 



