This fpecics but rarely vifits England, only two inftances 

 of its being met with have come to our immediate knowledge, 

 thefe were feen by a friend of the author's in the neighbourhood 

 of Lewes, in SufTex, nearly twenty years ago. One of them 

 Was {hot, which proved a male bird, and is now in a good ftatc 

 of prefervation. 



A pair of SpoonrBills were kept a few years ago by 

 J. A. Woodford, Efq. of Belmont-Houfe, Vauxhall ; 

 which were very tame and would feed from the hand ; their 

 food was worms, flugs, the produce of a fifh-pond, and hemp 

 feed ; the latter they dexteroufly fcooped from the furface of 

 the water. 



It flies high, and when on wing utters a noife fomewhat 

 refembling the cry of the Curlew, but much louder and 

 hoarfer ; it builds on trees, the neft is compofed of flicks m 

 the fame manner as that of the heron or crow ; the eggs are 

 faid to be four in number, of a white colour finely fprinkled 

 with red, fize about thofe of the common hen ; during incu- 

 bation they are noify and reftlefs. 



^ The fpecies is found in many parts of Europe, and in the 

 milder provinces of Afia, Africa, and America. 



