tail, dark brown, with green reflections; irides, bright yellow: fill, purplish-black; legs and feet, 

 yellow : toes, black. 



Habitats: Australia and New Zealand. 



SPATULA RHYNCHOTIS. 



I / ST1L 1 I.I A -V SHOVELLER. Genus : Spatula. 



rT*NLIK.E the rare Spatula Vdriegctta, the present species is fairly abundant, both in the southern 

 portion- of the Australian continent and the small islands of Bass's Straits; but, like that 

 beautiful bird, the .v. Rhynoctis, assumes during the pairing season a much richer plumage than at 

 .in\ other time, hi- splendour and variety of colour at this period affording a marked contrast to the 



mole sober hues of his mate. 



Iii many particulars, such as size ami structure, manner of immersing the head and neck 

 wln n feeding in shallow water, and especially in the conformation of the bill, this species bears a close 

 resemblance to the common European Shoveller, as well as to the Variegated Shoveller of this country. 



After a heavy fall of rain has occurred during the wet season, anil tilled many slight 



depressions of the land with water to a shallow depth, and when numbers of flocks of Ducks of 

 various species resorf thither to feed, some of these beautiful Shovellers may generally be seen swimming 



about with and feeding in harmony with the other members of the family; and when these flocks 



an' alarmed by the report of a gun, or disturbed otherwise in such a manner as to cause their flight, 



it is not unusual to see several Shovellers rise up in the midst of a flock of another species, and, 

 with them, fly in company to some other locality. 



Although generally more numerous in the interior of the country, about flooded country or 

 wln re a heavy fall of rain has been experienced, this bird is not uncommon near the coast during 

 the rainy season. Swamps, marshes, and shallow pools of small extent seem to be preferred to the 

 deeper waters <>t rivers, creeks and lakes, doubtless from food being the more easily procured in the 



former places. 



A- with the Variegated Shoveller, but little is known of the nidification of this species; the 

 breeding places must be in the interior of the continent, when the birds visit the country in the 

 vicinity of the coast during the rainy season. 



In the male, round the crown of the head and base of the bill, dark brown; a wavy line 

 of white runs downward in front of the eye ; crown of the head, blue-grey, each feather marked in 

 the centre with black: round the eye green, running into dark grey; all the under surfaces rich 

 brown, each feather broadly marked with black near the tip ; back, duller brown, each feather marked 

 with black; wing-coverts, grey; primaries, dark brown; secondaries, glossy green on the outer webs: 

 tad. dark brown, with green reflections; irides, bright yellow; bill, purplish-black ; legs and feet, 

 yellow. 



The win-- oi the female are the same as those of the male, but otherwise her plumage is 

 of a soberer tint, and the brilliant colours of the head so noticeable in the male are absent. 



Habitats : The southern portions of Australia, and the islands of Bass's Straits. 



