286 



A VES— ORDER ARDEIFORMES. 



some other position ; but the strange rigidity remained unrelaxed, the fixed 

 attitude unchanged. I also found, as I walked round him, that as soon as I 

 got to the opposite side, and he could no longer twist himself on his perch, 

 he whirled his body with great rapidity the other way, instantly presenting 

 the same front as before. 



" Finally I plucked him forcibly from the rush and perched him on my 

 hand, upon which he flew away ; but he flew only fifty or sixty yards off, and 

 dropped into the dry grass. Here he again put in practice the same instinct 

 so ably, that I groped about for ten or twelve minutes before refinding him, 

 and was astonished that a creature, to all appearance so weak and frail, 

 should have strength and endurance sufficient to keep its body rigid and in 

 one attitude for so long a time." 



This habit of concealing themselves among surroundings to which their 

 plumage assimilates in colour seemq to be a characteristic of all the Bitterns, 

 as I have seen our Common JJittern (Bofanriis dellnrii)) attempting to perform 

 this feat in an aviary, and the Tiger Bitterns (Tigrisoma) also remain in a 

 rigid position for hours together. 



It should be mentioned that nearly all the Herons lay eggs of a beautiful 

 greenish-blue colour, while those of many of the Bitterns are white, and 

 that of the Common Bittern is yellowish brown. 



Although agreeing with the Storks in the form of the furcula, the members 

 of this sub-order differ from them and from the Herons in several important 

 osteological characters, the principal one being the 

 schizorhinal or "split " nostril. The Spoon-bills are such 

 extraordinary looking birds, that there is no possibility of 

 their being mistaken for any of the other long-legged 

 Herons or Storks, from all of which they are distinguished 

 by their flattened and spoon-shaped bill. They are found in nearly every 

 part of the globe, but do not extend very far north, and six species are 



known, viz. , four species of PUtalece, one of 

 Platihis, confined to Australia, and one of 

 Ajaja, viz., the Rosy Spoon-bill of the New 

 World {Ajaja ajaja). 



The Common Spoon-bill used to breed in the 

 marshes of our eastern counties, but has not 

 been known to do so for the last three hundred 

 years. Now the species is only an accidental 

 visitor, but it still nests on the Horster Meer 

 in Holland, where its breeding jjlaoes are strictly 

 protected. The nests are made of dead reeds 

 lined with dry grass, and are placed on the 

 tussocks of grass with a few sticks as a founda- 

 tion ; a few nests being built low down in the 

 alder trees. On the Danube the Spoon-billa 

 nest in company with Egrets and other Herons, 

 and the following interesting account of a visit 

 to one of these breeding-places is given in Mr. 

 .^ Barkley's work, "Bulgaria Before the War." 



He found a colony on an island a few miles below Rustchuk, and he describes 

 the scene as follows ;— " Pushing our small boat into a narrow creek, we took 

 off our shoes and stockings, and, turning up our trousers, picked our way 

 through the tangled boughs in the direction of the sound, which evidently 



The Spoon-bills 

 and Ibises.— Sub- 

 order FliUalece. 



Fig. 46.— Tim Common SroON-Biii, 

 (Platalece li^ucerodea). 



