The Common Shoveu,er 157 



THE COMMON SHOVELLER 

 (ANAS AYPEATA). 



THIS very beautiful and interesting duck is of con- 

 siderable rarity in Britain, generally considered 

 as a winter visitant, but now known to breed in 

 limited numbers in the marshes of Norfolk. Nests have 

 been discovered in the Firth of Forth, where at one time 

 was a good deal of marsh land, and many small reedy 

 pools of water. 



In its habits it is regarded as an inland bird, but at 

 times it is shot on the shores of some of our islands. 

 Another authority regards it as promiscuous in its feed- 

 ing, and never procures its food by semi-immersion, nor 

 does it dive unless when hard pressed. In America it is 

 much esteemed for the table, and the menu of the Duke 

 of Norfolk years ago at a special feast consisted, among 

 other fowl, of four seapeys and two shovellers. 



Bill black, the head and neck in some lights appear 

 brown, in others rich green, but anterior to the eyes, and 

 on the crown and throat there is the least reflection of the 

 bright colour ; lower parts of the neck, breast, scapulars, 

 and sides of the rump, pure white ; back blackish brown, 

 gradually shading to greenish black on the rump and 

 upper tail-covers ; whole of the wing anterior to the greater 

 covers with the outer webs of the large scapulars greyish 

 blue ; the latter have a remarkable form, the inner white 

 web being produced in a narrow point beyond the outer ; 

 the lower scapulars are greenish-black, the tips along the 

 shafts for a narrow space white ; lesser covers clove-brown 

 with white tips, secondaries bright green ; belly, vent, and 

 flanks, chestnut-brown ; under tail-covers glossy blackish 

 green ; tail clove-brown, with pale edges. 



