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( 28 ) 



DIV. II. WATER FOWL. 



ORDER I. CLOVEN FOOTED, OR WADERS. 



All the birds of this order have long necks, and long legs, naked above the 

 knees, for the convenience of wading in water in fearch of their prey : their toes 

 are divided, fome to their origin, in others they are more or lefs connected by a 

 membrane : their make is light, both as to fkin and bones : thofe that prey on 

 fifh have ftrong bills ; thofe that fearch for minute infects, or worms that lurk 

 in mud, have the bill (lender and weak. 



GENUS I. SPOONBILL. 

 Bill, long, broad, flat, and thin, the end widening into a circular form like 

 a fpoon. 



Nostrils, fmall, placed near the bafe. 

 Tongue, fmall, and pointed. 

 Feet, femipalmated. 



SPECIES I. WHITE SPOONBILL. 



PL 143. 

 Platalea Leucorodia. Lin. Syft. I. p. 23 1. 

 La Spatule. Brif. Orn. V. p. 352. 

 This bird is almoft the fize of a common heron in the body, but the neck and 

 legs are both fhorter. The colour of the bill is brown or black, and the furface 

 rough for two thirds of its length from the bafe : the eyes grey : the plumage 

 in general white, except a fpot of bright orange colour, or yellow, at the an- 

 gle of the bill on each cheek : on the back part of the head is a beautiful creft 

 of white feathers hanging over the neck : the legs greyifh brown, or nearly 

 black : and the toes connected at the bafe by a membrane. The tongue is 

 Angular, being very fhort, fhaped like a heart, and when drawn back ferving 

 to clofe the entrance of the throat. 



This bird is rare in England, but has been met with now and then, and a 

 large flock was once feen in the marines near Yarmouth in Norfolk. 



