240 HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS 



makes its nest in a burrow ; hence the name 

 " Burrow-Duck " by which it is locally known. In 

 the Hebrides it has been observed breeding in rocky 

 holes, as well as in peat on Haskeir (Harvie-Brown), 

 and in Ireland in a sandbank bordering a fresh- 

 water lake, i.e. Lough INeagh. 



The local term sheld, i.e. parti-coloured, adopted 

 by Ray in 1674, indicates the proper mode of 

 spelling the English name for this bird {ZooL, 1876, 

 p. 4846). But see Newton, "Diet. Birds," p. 834, note. 

 In an old Scottish Act of Parliament (16 Jac. VI. 

 cap. 23) the form Skaildraik occurs (Muirhead, 

 "Birds of Berwickshire," and Zool, 1896, p. 273). 



On the west coast of Scotland and elsewhere 

 Sheld-drake's eggs are often hatched under common 

 hens, and successfully reared. 



Intermediate in size between Mallard and Wild 

 Goose, a Sheld-drake weighs from 3f to 4 lbs. 



WILD DUCK. Anas hoscas, Linnseus. PI. 28, figs. 1, 2. 

 Length, 24 in.; bill, 2*25 in.; wing, 11 in.; tarsus, 

 1-75 in. 



A local resident, migratory in spring and autumn. 



The so-called " Bimaculated Duck " of Pennant 

 is a hybrid between Wild Duck and Teal. The 

 reasons for this opinion are stated ZooL, 1892, 

 p. 149. One shot in Anglesey in January 1892 by 

 Captain Brooke was obligingly forwarded to me for 

 examination. In 1894 M. Suchetet, of Lille, pub- 

 lished in pamphlet form (pp. 48) his Histoire du 

 Bimaculated Duck de Pennant, with a coloured 



