SHOVELLER 13 



He is also of rather small account from a sporting point of view, 

 for though one of our very commonest winter ducks, spreading 

 all over the Empire except the islands in the Bay of Bengal, he 

 is not numerous anywhere, going in small flocks or pairs, which 

 somewhat affect the company of other species. His tastes, more- 

 over, are low ; although to be found here and there in any sort of 

 watery environment, what he really likes is muddy shallows and 

 weedy ponds, and even dirty little village tanks, where stores of 

 organic matter appeal to his palate. He is exquisitely provided 

 for extracting nutriment suspended in water by his wonderful 

 bill, which, as Darwin long ago pointed out, is like the mouth 

 of a whalebone whale in miniature ; the principle is the same 

 in all ducks' bills, but in the shoveller it is carried to perfection, 

 and so this bird seldom feeds by exploring the bottom or foraging 

 on shore ; but paddles slowly about, often turning in a circle, and 

 bibbles assiduously, finding food where no other duck could 

 obtain it. Any sort of food, vegetable or animal, passes muster 

 with him, but of course he is no dirtier a feeder than other ducks 

 when found in a clean environment ; he simply takes what 

 comes first. But in any case he has a bad name as food, though 

 I must say I think this may perhaps be exaggerated by a natural 

 prejudice against a bird often seen in dirt}* places. This duck 

 is not a wary bird, but, in spite of its lazy and slow movements 

 on land and water, its small feet and short legs not being suited 

 for rapid running and swimming, it is active enough on the 

 wing, and will even oblige a flock of teal with a lead. It cannot 

 dive much, so is easily captured if winged. 



The note of the male is qimck quucTx, but one does not often 

 hear it except when he is courting ; he is dull and stolid then 

 as at most other times, simply moving his head up and dow'n in 

 a daft sort of way. The female seems to have the ordinary quack. 

 Shovellers come into India rather late, about the beginning 

 of November, and sometimes spend all the winter in Kashmir; 

 they are also late in leaving, staying in some places as late as 

 April or even May. One has been met with with a brood in 

 Ceylon in March, but such breeding in our limits is doubtless 

 quite exceptional. In its breeding haunts, which include the 

 north temperate portion of the whole world, it nests on the 



