186 ARDEID.E. 



The Spoonbill measures about two feet seven or eight 

 inches from the tip of the beak to the extremity of the tail. 

 The entire feathering is white, the breast only tinged with 

 yellow. The beak is black, barred with lead-colour ; the 

 tip yellowish flesh-colour. The legs are black. The iris varies 

 according to age, from pearl white to deep red : the young 

 have the white iris, the middle-aged brown, and the adult 

 bird the carmine red. The ornamental feathers of the head 

 become tinged with orange yellow in old specimens. The 

 only difference between the male and the female is, that the 

 male is the larger and stronger bird of the two. 



The egg figured 174 is that of the Spoonbill. 



