TADORNA 138 



Genus TADOENA. 



This genus consists of two species, one of which has a wide 

 range throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa, the other being confined 

 to Austraha, the Moluccas, and i'apuan Islands. The male bird 

 possesses a deshy knob at the base of the upper ruandible, which is 

 highly developed during the breeding-season. 



(•22) TADORNA TADORNA. 

 THE SHELDRAKE. 



Anas tadorna, Lnin. S. N. x. ed. i, p. 122 (1758) (Sweden). 



Tadorna cornuta, Hume;S. F. i, p. 260 ; vii, p. 492 ; viii, p. 115 ; id. Cat. 

 No. 956 ; Hwm & Marsh. Game-B. iii, p. 136 ; Barnes, B. Bom. p. 400 ; 

 Salvadori, Gat. B. M. xxvii, p. 171 : Stuart Baker, J. B. N. H. S. xi, 

 p. 571 ; Young, ibid, xii, p. 57-3 ; Betham, ibid, xiii, p. 187 ; Inglis, 

 ibid, xiv, p. 393 ; Blanford, Avifauna B. I. iv, p. 427 : Stuart Baker, 

 Indian Ducks, p. 109 (1908) ; Kinnear, J. B. N. H. S. xx, 519 (1910) ; 

 Hopwood, ibid, xxi, p. 1220 (1912) ; Higgins, ibid, xxii, p. 399 (1913) ; 

 Inglis, ibid, xxiii, p. 367 (1915) : id. ibid, xxiv, p. 824 (1916). 



Tadorna vulpanser, .Icrdon, B. of I. iii, p. 794. 



Description. Adult Male. — " Head and upper part of the neck dark 

 glossy green ; round the lower neck a broad white collar ; a band of rich 

 chestnut covers the upper part of the back, the space before the bend of the 

 the wing, and the upper part of the breast : remainder of back, rump, and 

 upper tail-coverts white ; scapulars black, except the inner ones, which are 

 white ; a band along the middle of the breast and belly dark brown ; sides 

 and flanks white ; under tail-coverts rufous ; wing-coverts white, primaries 

 very dark brown ; speculum on the secondaries green ; long inner secondaries 

 with rich chestnut outer webs ; tail feathers white, tipped with black ; bill 

 and knob at the base bright red ; irides brown ; legs, toes, and their mem- 

 branes flesh -pink." 



