240 INDIAN DUCKS 



It is a bad swimmer and a worse diver, and once shot gives little 

 trouble to bring to hand if onjy wounded. It flies, however, very 

 well and strongly, and in this respect it holds its own with teal 

 and other swift ducks, though it is slow to rise, getting up heavily 

 and awkwardly ofl' the water and taking time to get up its speed. 



Shovellers are very sociable birds, and consort with teal, gadwall, 

 and other ducks. As a rule, they are very tame, and can be easily 

 approached, if the least caution is taken, and they have the reputa- 

 tion of allowing repeated shots to be fired at them before a flock will 

 leave the piece of water it is frequenting. 



Blanford remarks that they never appear to feed, like other 

 ducks, with their heads and breasts immersed and their tails sticking 

 up vertically. 



They are said to walk well, with a carriage similar to that of the 

 gadwall, and Hume says they can even run if suflicient inducement 

 be held out for them to do so. 



Newton remarks on a peculiarity of this duck of " swimming 

 round in circles, with its bill in the water, above the spot where 

 pochards are diving and feeding beneath, and sifting out the substances 

 that float up when disturbed Ijy the operation of the diving ducks." 



The voice of the Shoveller is much like that of the mallard, 

 the quack, however, being lower and less strident. In flight it gives 

 vent to a low chuckling quack, quickly repeated, much as does the 

 gadwall. 



