fHE SPOONBILL. 1?1 



Peculiar gestures Description. 



as ladylike and graceful. Our English sailors, 

 however, who have not entered so deeply into 

 the dancing art, think, that while thus in motion, 

 the bird cuts but a very ridiculous figure. It 

 stoops, rises, lifts one wing, then another, turns 

 round, sails forward, then back again ; all which 

 highly diverts our seamen ; not imagining, per- 

 haps, that all these contortions are but the auk- 

 ward expressions, not of the poor animal's plea- 

 sures, but its fears. 



It is a very scarce bird ; the plumage is of a 

 leaden grey; but it is distinguished by fine white 

 feathers, consisting of long fibres, which fall from 

 the back of the head, about four inches long ; 

 while the fore part of the neck is adorned with 

 black feathers, composed of very fine, soft, and 

 long fibres, that hang down upon the stomach, 

 and give the bird a very graceful appearance. 

 It comes from that country from whence it has 

 taken its name. The ancients have described a 

 buffoon bird, but there are many reasons to 

 believe that theirs is not the Numidian crane. 



THE SPOONBILL. 



THE European spoonbill is about the bulk of 

 a crane; but the latter is above four feet high, 

 while the former is seldom more than three. 

 The common colour of those of Europe is a dirty 

 white; but those of America are of a beautiful 

 Y 2 



