SPATULA.
Bill longer than head, very ffat in front and much widened; lamellae very fine.
Spatula clypeata (L.). SHOVELER. Fr. Souchet ; Ger. Loffelente ; Rai. Mestolone ; Szueel. Skedand.
6 Head and neck green, back brown, wing coverts grey blue, lower series with white tips, scapulars white, speculum green, breast white, abdomen chestnut. ? Above brown with pale or rufous margins ; beneath deep buff spotted. Bill leaden black, ? greenish brown above, dull orange below. Legs and feet orange red. Iris orange, ? yellow. Young :
brown. Wing (S 216-235. Tarsus 34-38. Bill e ? Breeds.—From Arctic Circle in Scandinavia, Lapland, and N. Russia south to British Isles, Denmark, Holland, France, N. Austria, Hungary, and Bulgaria, in Russia south to Perm ; also across Asia and North America ; has bred in S. Spain, Tunisia and Cyprus. Migrates ; occurs in winter in Mediter ranean Basin, Egypt, tropical Africa and S. Asia to China and Japan ; in America south to W. Indies and C. America.