ANATID^. 



419 



THE COMMON SHELD-DUCK. 



Tad6rxa cornuta (S. G. Gmelin). 



This handsome species frequents, as a rule, salt or brackish water, 

 and is to be found on the coast during the whole year, especially on 

 flat shores, sand-bars and links. In such localities it occurs along 

 the east of England, and also on the west of the island, notably in 

 Wales, though the increase of population and commerce has inter- 

 fered with it in Lancashire and Cheshire ; while in the south a 

 limited number nest in Devon, Somerset, Dorset, and Hampshire. 

 The east side of Scotland, where the bird is an abundant resident, 

 is visited, especially in winter, by large flocks escaping from the cold 

 of the Continent, and although the " Stock-annet," as it is trivially 

 named, is somewhat local on the west and in the islands, it is 

 tolerably numerous during the summer in most of the Hebrides and 

 the Orkneys, and it is said to have nested in the Shetlands. In 

 Ireland it breeds in many counties, especially in Sligo, Mayo, Clare, 

 Waterford and A\'exford, becoming more plentiful in winter. 



The Sheld-Duck rarely visits the Faeroes, and the first record for 

 Iceland was in January 1894. It nests on the coast of Norway 

 up to about 70° N. lat., and is abundant in Sweden, Denmark, the 

 Baltic, the North Frisian Islands and Holland, while it also breeds on 

 the shores of France, and, sparingly, in the Spanish Peninsula ; but 



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