PLATALEyE. 229 



Suborder XX. PLATALEM 



The Spoonbills and Ibises form a connecting-link between the 

 Anserine and the Ardeine groups of birds j but in some respects 

 they closely resemble the Limicoline group'. They appear to be 

 easily diagnosed by two characters. They agree with the Anseres 

 and Herodiones in having the maxillo-palatines completely fused with 

 each other^ and with the Limicolse in being schizorhinal in the bifur- 

 cation of their nasals. They further agree with the Anseres and the 

 Limicolse in having the mandible produced behind its articulation 

 with the quadrate and recurved. 



There are only about 30 species of Platalese, which are distributed 

 throughout the tropical and subtropical parts of the world. 



Of the four Japanese species which belong to this suborder one is 

 only known to breed in Japan, one is confined to Japan and East 

 Chinaj one is Palsearctic and Oriental, whilst the fourth is only 

 Oriental and Japanese. 



216. PLATALEA LEUCORODIA. 



(COMMON SPOONBILL.) 



Platalea leucwodia, Linneus, Syst. Nat. i. p. 231 (1768). 



The Common Spoonbill is rather larger than Swinhoe's Black- 

 faced Spoonbill ; the naked skin on the face is yellow ; and the throat 

 is bare in the middle for a much greater distance than it is on the 

 sides. The feathering on the forehead and sides of the head reaches 

 far in front of the eye. 



Figures : Temminck and Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, Aves, pi. 75, 

 under the name of Platalea major. 



The Common Spoonbill is a somewhat rare bird in Japan, espe- 

 cially in Yezzo. There is an example in the Swinhoe collection 

 obtained by Captain Blakiston at Hakodadi, where it had been pre- 

 viously procured on the 13th of October (Whitely, Ibis, 1867, p. 204), 

 and another from Yokohama obtained in November. 



The range of the Common Spoonbill extends from the British 

 Islands (where it formerly bred) across Europe and Southern Siberia 

 to Japan. To these countries it is only a summer visitor, but it is a 

 resident in North Africa, India, and Ceylon. It is a winter visitor to 

 Formosa and South China. 



