The ornithology of Francis Willughby of Middleton in the county of Warwick Esq, fellow of the Royal Society in three books : wherein all the birds hitherto known, being reduced into a method sutable to their natures, are accurately described : the descriptions illustrated by most elegant figures, nearly resembling the live birds, engraven in LXXVII copper plates : translated into English, and enlarged with many additions throughout the whole work : to which are added, Three considerable discourses, I. of the art of fowling, with a description of several nets in two large copper plates, II. of the ordering of singing birds, III. of falconry / by John Ray ...

CHAP. IV.

§. I. The Spoon-bill. Platea sive Pelecanus of Gesner. Leucorodius sive Albardeola of Aldrovand. Lepelaer of the Low Dutch.

THat which we described was a young one taken out of the Nest. It weighed forty five ounces and an half. Its length from the tip of the Bill to the end of the Claws was thirty four inches, to the end of the Tail twenty four. The colour of the whole body was Snow-white like a Swans. Beyond the Eyes to∣ward the Bill grow neither feathers nor down, as in the Heron and Cormorant. The angle also of the lower Chap is bare, which perchance is peculiar and proper to this Bird.

The first quil-feather of the Wing is black; of the second only the exteriour Web, or outer half from the shaft; and the tip of the interiour are black; of the third only the top, and of the fourth yet less. In like manner the tips and shafts of the inferiour feathers of the second row were black. The Tail is very short, viz. three inches and an half, made up of twelve feathers.

The Bill is of a singular and unusual figure, plain, depressed, and broad, near the end dilated into an almost circular figure, of the likeness of a Spoon, whence also the Bird it self is called by the Low Dutch, Lepelaer, that is, Spoon-bill. The broad part of the Bill is graven with twelve or fourteen lines or crevises; but its inward surface is smooth and even, without any such sculptures or gravings. The Bill in the young ones before they be grown up is white, or of a flesh-colour, in old ones black. The Tongue is sharp and little. The Legs half way up the second joynt are bare of fea∣thers; in the young ones of a whitish colour. The Feet strong: The fore-toes joyned together by a membrane; the outmost and middlemost to the second joynt, the middlemost and inmost no further than the first. The Toes and Claws black.

We did not observe in our Bird those reflections of the Wind-pipe, which Aldro∣vandus mentions, describes, and figures. It had a large Gall: The Guts had many re∣volutions. Above the Stomach the Gullet was dilated into a Bag, whose inward sur∣face was rough and uneven, with many papillary glandules.

Its Eggs are of the bigness of Hens Eggs, white, and powdered with a few san∣guine or pale-red spots.

In a certain Grove, at a Village called Sevenhuys, not far from Leyden in Holland, they build and breed yearly in great numbers, on the top of high trees; where also build Herons, Night-ravens, Shags, Cormorants, &c. In this Grove every sort of Bird (as they told us) hath its several quarter, where they build all together. When the young ones are ripe, those that farm the Grove with a hook on the top of a long pole catch hold of the bough on which the Nest is built and shake out the young ones, but sometimes Nest and all down to the ground.

§. II. * Tlauhquechul, or the Mexican Spoon-bill of Hernandez.

It is a Bird of a strange Palate: It feeds only on living fish, and will not touch dead ones. It delights in ravin: In shape of body is like to the Spoon-bill or Pe∣lecan, but almost all over of a most beautiful scarlet or pale red colour. Its Bill is broad, round toward the end, and of an ash-colour: The Pupil of its Eye black, the Iris red, and wrinkled: Its forehead like that of a Turkey or Aura: Its Head almost void of hairs or feathers, of a white colour, with near the whole Neck, and part of the Breast: A broad black ring, distinguishing the Head from the Neck. It lives about the Sea-shores and Rivers.

§. III. * The Brasilian Spoon-bill, called Aiaia, and by the Portughese, Colherado, Marggrav. the same I suspect with the precedent.

IN figure it agrees with the European Platea, differing only in colour. Of the big∣ness of a Goose: Its Bill broad like a Spoon, and white: Its Neck long: Its Feet broad. It is all white, save that the Back and Wings are of a pale carnation colour. Its flesh is edible. It is very common about the River of St. Francis, and elsewhere in Fenny places. Probably this Bird is the same with the precedent. We have a Bill of (I suppose) one of these American Plateas, which is almost twice as big and long as that of the common European.