EURINORYNCIIUS GRISEUS. 



71 



The Pigmy Spoonbill is ash grey above, and white below, the ground 

 colour being of a blueish ash. Crown of the head, back of the neck, mid- 

 dle of the back, upper tail coverts, middle of the tail, scapulars, greater and 

 lesser wing coverts, and primary and secondary quills more or less of an 

 ash colour, shaded with brown, and tipped with white. Feathers of the 

 head, back of the neck, upper part of the back and wing coverts dark in 

 the centre, and margined round the tips with white. Tail coverts darker, 

 with white shafts for three-fourths of their length, and black at the tip, 

 where the webs, also, are black. Tail l^V inches long ; shafts of all the 

 feathers white, two central ones dark on the inner webs, lighter on the 

 outer, and tipped with white ; the other feathers gradually becoming lighter 

 to the outermost one, which is almost white. Remiges with white shafts ; 

 webs dark brown, almost black on the outer one and tip ; lighter on the 

 inner ; and white at the base for one-third of the outside, and two-thirds of 

 the inside webs : First quill longest. Secondaries white at the base for 

 two-thirds of the inner margin of the inner web, the rest dark brown, with 

 a narrow border of white. Tertiaries still lighter, some of the inner feathers 

 being altogether white on the inner web and tip. Lesser under coverts 

 white, mottled with ash. Forehead, cheeks, throat, front of the neck and 

 breast, inner coverts, sides, belly, and under-tail coverts snow-white. Legs 

 and feet black. 



The Pigmy Spoonbill is noted in Griffith's Cuvier as " one of the 

 most rare birds existing, for, but a single individual is known," It is said 

 to be a native of Surinam and Guiana. The present specimen is stated by 

 Mr. Newcombe, who presented it to the Society, to have been " shot on 

 Edmonstone's Island, which is situated a little to the northward of the centre 

 of Saugur Sand." Captain Lloyd, of the Indian Navy, informs me that 

 he also once met with a specimen in Arracan. 



