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Genus III.— PLATALEA. Linn. SPOONBILL. 
Bill very long, excessively depressed, being, when viewed laterally, very 
slender ; but, when seen from above, nearly as broad as the head at the 
base, considerably contracted in the middle, and at the end expanded into 
a large obovate disk much broader than the head ; upper mandible with 
the dorsal line almost straight, at the tip decurved, the ridge extremely 
broad and flat, gradually widening beyond the nostrils, at the end termi- 
nated by the very small, decurved, blunt unguis, the sides declinate at the 
base, horizontally flattened towards the end, separated in their whole length 
from the ridge by a narrow groove, their margins soft and blunt ; lower 
mandible with the angle very long, narrow, rounded, the coma narrow, 
and gradually flattened, the extremity expanded into a flattened disk, as 
in the upper ; both mandibles covered with soft skin, which, for half their 
length, is rough, with roundish plates, having their anterior margin some- 
what prominent. Nostrils basal, oblong-linear, of moderate size. Head 
of moderate size, flattened above ; neck long and slender, body compact, 
ovate ; legs long and rather stout ; tibia bare in its lower half, and reticu- 
late ; tarsus rather long, stout, roundish, covered all round with sub- 
hexagonal scales ; toes rather long, moderately stout, scutellate, at the 
base reticulate ; first more slender, articulated at the same level, second 
considerably shorter than third. Claws moderate, arched, compressed, 
laterally grooved, rather obtuse. Head, gular sac, and a small part of 
neck, destitute of feathers. Wings long and very broad, the second quill 
longest. Tail short, even, of twelve rather broad feathers. Tongue 
extremely small, broader than long; gular sac dilatable; oesophagus wide, 
with a dilatation at the lower part of the neck ; proventriculus bulbiform ; 
stomach a powerful gizzard, roundish, with large muscular fasciculi not dis- 
posed into distinct muscles, the epithelium very thick, longitudinally fissured; 
intestine very long, of moderate width ; coeca two slight knobs. 
