46 



British Birds, with their Nests and Eggs 



a glossy green metallic colour, washed with bronzy purple; the lower back to 

 the tail is black, with the same metallic sheen and reflections. The under side 

 of the body is coppery red like the mantle, except for the under tail- and wing- 

 coverts, which are black, glossed over with metallic green and purple. The beak, 

 which is about 5^ inches long, is greenish olive, except at the base, where it is 



bluish grey. 



In winter the coppery red of the head, neck, and under surface become dark 

 brown and duller, and but slightly washed with purple, and having stripes consisting 

 of white spots on the head and neck. 



The immature birds closely resemble the adults in their winter plumage, being 

 dark earthy brown, with little or none of their metallic sheen, while the head and 

 upper neck have a series of white dotted lines. 



The Glossy Ibis has lived for many years in captivity, in large numbers in 

 the Zoological Gardens in London, and has also reared its young there. 



Family— PL A TALEID^. 



The Spoonbill. 



Platalea leucorodia, Linn. 



THE Spoonbill is one of our not infrequent visitors, especially to the eastern 

 and south-eastern counties of England, whither a few individuals find their 

 way every year, occasionally in flocks of five or six, doubtless from across the 

 North Sea, where the bird still breeds in considerable numbers in the nieres and 

 wooded marshes of the low countries. It has been recorded both from Scotland 

 and from Ireland, but it is not frequent in the northern parts of Britain. It has 

 not always been a " foreign " bird. Under the name of " Shoveller," " Shovelard," 

 and " Sholarde," it was well-known in England, as late as the seventeenth century, 

 when it was a resident. In the year 1668 it was still breeding in Norfolk, for 



