452 THE BIRDS OF YORKSHIRE. 



summer. In the North Riding, a nest was found in 1866 

 at Marfield Pond, near Masham ; in May 1880, Messrs. Talbot, 

 lanson and Marsden recorded a nest with four eggs on Thome 

 Waste, in the extreme south of the county, close to the 

 boundary at Crowle [Zool. 1882, p. 175) ; at Kiveton Park 

 it has bred and possibly does so annually ; and at Temple 

 Newsam the nest was reported in 1897. In 1896 a pair nested 

 at a disused brickpond at Skipwith, but the young were, 

 with the exception of three, taken by a pike. More recent 

 information respecting its breeding shews that, on 2nd May 

 1900, a nest with twelve eggs was discovered on Skipwith 

 Common ; and at Scampston a duck, captured in the winter 

 of 1902, has become naturalized and breeds there. 



Generally speaking, the Shoveler is best known as a more 

 or less rare visitor on the spring and autumn migrations and 

 also in winter, occurring on reservoirs, large ponds, and slow 

 flowing streams which suit the habits of this fresh water 

 Duck. At the Tees estuary it is of fairly frequent occurrence 

 in spring and autumn, mainly owing to the presence of a well 

 protected breeding place in south-east Durham, the specimens 

 met with in August and September being, without doubt, birds 

 from the above locality. In September 1877, I obtained one 

 from a flock of nine on the Tees sands, and examples have 

 at intervals been killed there and on the Coatham Marshes. 



It appears to be on the increase in the East Riding, where 

 it is a spring and autumn migrant in small numbers, and the 

 neighbourhood of Beverley seems to be favoured by its occur- 

 rence, as the numerous records testify, while the individuals 

 which have been reported in late April and May suggest a 

 possibility of their breeding in the locahty had they been 

 unmolested. On the Derwent at East Cottingwith it is 

 occasionally killed in winter. 



It has occurred at various places in the North and West 

 Ridings, other than those already mentioned, which it would 

 be tedious to particularize. It is regularly taken in Hornby 

 Castle Decoy. 



The only local vernacular name by which it is known is 

 Spoonbill, which is applied to it in the East and North Ridings. 



