WHITE SPOONBILL. 



643 



pure white, with the exception of the lower part 

 of the neck, which is yellowish buff, becoming 

 paler behind : the naked space round the eyes 

 and on the throat pale yellow; the base of the 

 latter part slightly tinged with rufous. The female 

 has not so fine a crest, and has the yellow hue on 

 the breast paler. The young are white, with the 

 shafts of the quills black : the head is clothed with 

 short and rounded feathers : the beak is deep grey, 

 and is covered with a smooth skin : the irides are 

 grey : the orbits are dull white. The yellow on 

 the breast does not make its appearance till the 

 third year. 



The Spoonbill appears to be a general inhabitant 

 of the old continent: it' frequents the borders of 

 rivers and the sea coasts, migrating with the Herons 

 and Storks. In England it is scarce. Pennant 

 mentions that a flock migrated into the marshes 

 near Yarmouth, in Norfolk, in April 1774, and 

 since that time two have been shot on the southern 

 coast of Devonshire, and ai'e now in the British 

 Museum. The nest is placed on high trees near 

 the sea side : the female lays three or four white 

 eggs, marked with a few pale red spots, but 

 occasionally they are spotless : during breeding 

 time it is very clamorous. It feeds upon fish, 

 frogs, snails, insects, and aquatic worms, and also 

 grass and weeds that grow in the water. Its flesh 

 is said to have the flavour of a Goose, and is very 

 high coloured when dressed, and free from any 

 fishy taste. 



