THE SPOONBILL. 



193 



coverts with brownish-black shafts and tips, varying in amount 

 but most marked on outer primaries, secondaries with black shafts ; 

 most body-feathers and wing-coverts with 

 basal half of shafts black, but tips usually 

 white. 



First summer. — The juvenile plumage 

 commences to moult Jan. but is often not 

 finished by May, moult is complete and 

 new plumage is like juvenile but with less 

 black at tips of outer primaries and primary- 

 coverts and secondaries and rest of plumage 

 with no black on shafts. 



Second summer. — Insufficient material 

 is available to trace sequences exactly but 

 some birds with crests and otherwise as 

 adults have distal part of shafts of primaries 

 brown and tips of outer primaries with 

 brown-black marks and these appear to be 

 birds two years old. 



Measurements and structure. — $ wing 

 375-395 mm., tail 110-120, tarsus 140-150, 

 bill from feathers 205-230 (5 measured). 

 $ wing 350-370, bill 175-190 (8 measured). 

 Primaries : 2nd longest, 3rd as long or 

 5 mm. shorter, 1st 10-15 shorter, 4th 8-10 

 shorter, 5th 30-^0 shorter, 6th 60-70 shorter ; 

 2nd to 4th emarginated outer and 1st to 

 3rd inner webs. Tail square, 12 feathers, 

 tips rounded. Under tail-coverts about 

 three-fourths as long as tail-feathers. Bill 

 very long, nearly straight, very thin and flat, 

 nearly as broad as head at base, gradually 

 narrowing towards middle and broadening 

 to a flat, spoon-like shape at tip, extreme 

 tip of upper mandible decurved, along each 

 side of upper mandible a narrow groove and 

 another down centre of lower mandible, 

 angle of which is very long and narrow. 

 Surface of upper mandible especially at base 

 and sides and of under mandible corrugated in 

 adult but much smoother in young. Nostrils 

 narrow, elliptical, on each side of centre line 

 of bill. Skin of loral region, round eyes, 

 chin and down centre of throat narrowing to a V-shape, bare. 

 Lower half of tibia bare. 2nd, 3rd and 4th toes connected at base 

 with webs, claws short and stout. 



Soft parts. — Bill black, tip yellow ; bare skin on fore-part of 

 lores black, but rest and round eyes, chin and throat yellow ; legs 

 and feet black ; iris red. 



VOL. II. O 



The Spoonbill (Platalea I. 



leucorodia.) Bill of adult 



from above. 



