I7« THE GREY LAG GOOSE 



FAMILY PLATALEIDiE 



THE SPOONBILL 



platal6a leucorodia 



General plumage white ; a large patch of reddish yellow on the breast ; a crest 

 of long narrow white feathers pendent over the neck ; lore, orbits, and 

 naked space on the neck, pale yellow ; bill black, tipped with yellow ; 

 irides red ; feet black. Young birds want the yellow patch on the breast 

 and the occipital crest ; portions of the wing black. Length thirty-one 

 inches. Eggs white, spotted with light red. 



Spoonbills do not appear to have been common at any time ; 

 for though Sir Thomas Browne enumerates them among the birds of 

 Norfolk and Suffolk, where they build in heronries, his contem- 

 porary, WUlughby, knew them only as natives of Holland. This 

 bird is not unfrequent in East Anglia, and it is met with now and 

 again along the south coast, and has wandered up the Thames 

 vaUey. 



The Spoonbill is a migratory bird, building its nest and rearing 

 its young in the north of Europe and Asia, and retiring in autumn to 

 the shores of the Mediterranean or to Africa. It is remarkable not 

 only for the singular conformation of its bill, but for ' being one 

 of the very few which have been found to possess no true muscles 

 of the organ of voice ; and no modulation of a single tone appears to 

 be possessed by the bird.' ^ 



It builds its nest in high trees, or, when these are wanting, among 

 reeds and rushes ; and lays four eggs. 



ORDER ANSERES 



FAMILY ANATIDiE 



THE GREY LAG GOOSE 



ANSER CINEREUS 



Folded wings not reaching to the extremity of the tail ; bill strong, orange- 

 yellow, the nail whitish ; upper plumage ash-brown, many of the 

 feathers bordered with greyish white ; under plumage, in front, Ught ash- 

 grey, barred on the flanks and belly with brown, behind pure white ; 

 irides deep brown ; legs dull flesh-colour. Eggs ivory white. Length 

 two feet ten inches. 



The Geese characterized by having a large, ovate body, a long 

 neck, a short and stout beak, high at the base and bent down at 



* Yarrell's British Birds. 



