PLATA LEI DiE — THE SPOONBILLS — AJAJA. 
105 
as far north as Texas. It feeds on fishes and insects, which it hunts in the water. 
Its common names are “Garza Colorada,” “Espatula,” etc. 
Dr. Henry Bryant, who visited Florida in 1858, states that at the time of his visit 
the Boseate Spoonbill was breeding in such numbers at Indian River that he has 
known one person to kill as many as sixty in a single day. The wing-feathers, being 
largely used in the manufacture of fans, were selling at from one dollar to one and a 
half for a single pair. He adds that this bird commences breeding at Pelican Island 
in February, having eggs as early as the middle of that month, the young being 
nearly fledged by the 1st of April. On the 10th of that month he found one nest 
containing an egg. All the rest were either empty, or the young were on the point 
of leaving them. This egg measured 2.56 inches in length, and 1.56 inches in breadth, 
and was of an elongated oval form, the difference between the two ends being strongly 
marked. The ground color he gives as white, sprinkled all over with bright rufous 
spots of different sizes, forming a ring near the large end. Dr. Bryant also met with 
a few at the Biminis, Bahama, where they were said to breed. 
Mr. G. C. Taylor (Ibis, 1862), who visited Florida three years after Dr. Bryant, 
states that while, only a few years previous to his visit, this species had been very 
plentiful on Indian River, their number had of late become greatly diminished, 
owing to the destruction of them for the sake of their wings. He was informed 
that after breeding on Indian River it moves northwards, and remains during the 
summer in the salt-marshes about Smyrna. He saw a living bird that had been 
brought up from Indian River a year previous. It was quite tame, and associated 
freely with the poultry. While he was staying at Smyrna a person brought with 
him four young Spoonbills from Indian River which had been taken from their nest 
a short time previously. There appeared to be no difficulty in rearing them. 
Audubon states that it is rarely met with as far north as the Carolinas. Dr. 
Bachman, during twenty years’ observation, knew of but three instances. In one 
of these he obtained an individual in full plumage ten miles north of Charleston. 
He found it wintering among the keys near Cape Sable, where it remained until 
nearly the 1st of March, living chiefly along the watercourses and not far from 
the coast ; they were not seen either wintering or breeding in the interior. 
It is to be met with, for the most part, along the marshy or muddy borders of 
estuaries, the mouths of rivers, on sea islands, or keys partially overgrown with 
bushes, and still more abundantly along the shores of the salt-water bayous so com- 
mon within a mile or two of the shore. There the Spoonbill can reside and breed, 
with almost complete security, in the midst of an abundance of food. It is said to 
be gregarious at all seasons, and that seldom less than half a dozen may be seen 
together, unless they have been dispersed by a tempest. At the approach of the 
breeding-season these small flocks collect together, forming immense collections, after 
the manner of the Ibis, and resort to their former breeding-places, to which they 
almost invariably return. Their moult takes place late in May ; during this time the 
young of the previous year conceal themselves among the mangroves, there spending 
the day, and returning at night to their feeding-grounds, but keeping apart from the 
old birds, which last have passed through their spring moult early in March. Like 
the several species of Ibis, this bird is said occasionally to rise suddenly on the wing, 
and ascend gradually, in a spiral manner, to a great height. It flies with its neck 
stretched forward to its full length, and its legs and feet extended behind. It moves 
in the manner of a Heron, with easy flappings, until just as it is about to alight, when 
it sails over the spot with expanded wing, and comes gradually to the ground. It 
flies in a confused manner, except when on one of its extended movements. 
VOL. i. — 14 
