ROSEATE SPOONBILL. 1 09 



Guiana, and Brazil. In the southern hemisphere it is said to 

 exist in Peru and as far down the coast of South America as 

 Patagonia. North of the equator it migrates in summer into 

 Florida, and is met with to the confines of the Altamaha, in 

 Georgia. Wilson's specimen was obtained up the Mississippi, 

 at the town of Natchez (about the latitude of 32°). Some 

 are also occasionally met with on the river shores of the Ala- 

 bama, and in other parts of that State. A straggler has been 

 known to wander as far as the banks of the Delaware. 



According to the relation of Captain Henderson, in his 

 account of Honduras, this species is more maritime in its 

 habits than that of Europe, as it wades about in quest of shell- 

 fish, marine insects, fry, and small crabs ; and in pursuit of 

 these, according to him, it occasionally swims and dives. 



The European, or white, species appears to reside in much 

 cooler climes than the American, being abundant in Holland, 

 and even at times visiting the shores of the South and West 

 of England in whole flocks. It is there, however, a bird of 

 passage, and in migrations accompanies the flocks of Swans. 



At the present day Spoonbills are found regularly no farther 

 north than the maritime districts of the Gulf States, though an 

 occasional bird wanders up the valley of the Mississippi, ranging 

 at times as far as southern Illinois. 



They were abundant in Florida not many years ago, but the 

 ' plume-hunters have almost exterminated them there. At present 

 they are more numerous on the shores of Texas than elsewhere. 



