THE SHELD-DUCKS. 26 I 



burrow to a depth of four or five feet, while the distance has 

 alio been known to extend to as many as twelve feet from the 

 entrance, and in these cases the burrows are said to be exca- 

 vated by the birds themselves. Mr. Robert Read states that 

 the Sheld-Duck nests most commonly in burrows amongst 

 the sand-hills by the seaside, but in Scotland he has found the 

 nest in a rabbit-burrow amongst a group of trees near a fresh- 

 water loch. When breeding in the sand-hills, the nest usually 

 consists simply of the down of the parent bird, but when near 

 trees and herbage, there are generally a good many leaves 

 mixed with the down. 



Mr. W. E. de Winton observes that in South Wales the local 

 names for this species are " Perre'net" and " St. George's Duck " 

 (in Scotland, " Stockenet"), and he tells me that he has known 

 them to nest on precipitous cliffs, in burrows at such a height 

 that it is difficult to imagine how the young ones could be got 

 down to the water ; generally, however, the nest has been in 

 rabbit-holes in the sand-dunes by the sen, covered with lon^^ 

 sword-grass. There is seldom any track to the nest, into which 

 the female appears to dive in full flight. When watching them, 

 he has known the two birds to suddenly appear over a sand- 

 hill, and then fly round and round together for some time, but 

 on taking his eye off them for a moment, it has often happened 

 that only the male is seen afterwards, the female having suddenly 

 dived into the nest like an arrow. 



The food of the Sheld-Duck consists of worms, small 

 molluscs, and water-insects, as well as various aquatic plants, 

 and also, it is said, of seaweeds. In many of their ways they 

 resemble Geese, while Mr. Seebohm describes the flight as 

 "performed by slow and laboured beats of the wings, very un- 

 like the rapid motion of smaller Ducks, and much more re- 

 sembling that of the Swan." The same writer says that the 

 call-note, which is common to both sexes, is a harsh quack. 

 During the pairing-season, the male utters a clear rapidly- 

 repeated whistle or trill ; and when the young are hatched, his 

 anxious alarm-note to his mate on the approach of danger 

 may constantly be heard, and resembles the syllables kor-kor, 

 uttered in a deep tone. In confinement Lord Lilford says that 

 he has never heard any noise produced by the birds beyond a 



