ANSRRES— ANATIDyE 219 



Tadorna. 



Hill concave, nail narrow, shar[)ly bent down and recurved 

 over tip of mandible; old ^ in breeding season with knob 

 at l)ase of bill; horn knob at bend of wing; breed in 

 burrows. 



Tadorna tadorna (L.). Sheldrake. Fr. Canard tadorne ; 

 Gcr. Brandente ; ItaL Volpoca ; Siocd. Grafand. 



$ Head, neck, and speculum green ; chest, wing coverts, 

 back, and underparts white ; scapulars black, fore part of body 

 chestnut ; red knob on bill. 9 lacks knob on bill and generally 

 duller plumaged. Bill red in spring, paler later, nail dusky. 

 Legs and feet flesh colour. Wing $ 300-350, 9 280-295. Tarsus 

 $ 51-58, $ 46-53. Bill $ 49-50, ? 42-44. Young: above 

 smoky brown ; face, neck, and rump white ; underparts white ; 

 chestnut begins to appear in October. 



^r<?^^/^.— British Isles ; N. Europe from 69° in Norway and 

 Russian Lapland to France, Germany, Hungary, Rumania, 

 Bulgaria, and S. Russia ; and east to Central Asia ; also 

 occasionally Spain and Algeria. Migrates, but resident in 

 British Isles ; occurs in winter south to Mediterranean and 

 N. Africa, N. India, China, and Japan. 



Casarca. 

 Much like "Tadorna." Bill less concave; nail wider 

 and not recurved. 



Casarca casarca (L.). Ruddy Sheldrake. 6"^/-. Rostente ; 

 ItaL Casarca. 



$ Orange brown with black neck ring ; wing coverts and 

 axillaries white ; speculum coppery green ; rump, upper tail 

 coverts, and tail black. Bill, legs and feet black. $ Paler, 

 whiter on head, and without neck ring. Wing $ 350-399, 

 ? 327-357- Tarsus 55-65. Bill $ 42-50, ? 36-47 (W.). 



/)';r<v/j.— Balkan Peninsula, Greece, Rumania, Crimea, lakes 

 of S. Russia up to Volga Valley, Caucasus, and through S.W. and 

 C. Asia to China ; also has bred Algeria and probably S. Spain. 

 Occurs in winter N. Africa, India, and S. China. Casual visitor 

 to N. and W. Europe ; rare wanderer to Britain. 



