ANSERES. ( 100 ) ANATID^. 



THE COMMON SHELD-DUCK. 



SHIELDRAKE, SHELDRAKE, SKELGOOSE, SKEELING GOOSE, 



BUKROW-DUCK, ST. GEORGE'S DUCK, SLY GOOSE, STOCK- 



ANNET, BARGANDER, BARDRAKE, BAY-DUCK. 



Tadorna cornuta. 



The sleeping Shell-Ducks at the sound arise, 

 And utter loud their inharmonious cries ; 

 Fluttering, they move their weedy beds among, 

 Or instant diving hide their phaneless young. 



Crabbe. 



This beautiful bird, which is a permanent resident in Scot- 

 land, is seldom seen in Berwickshire, as the coast is too 

 precipitous for its habits. Small flocks, however, have been 

 occasionally observed on the Tweed in the neighbourhood 

 of Paxton during severe weather about the end of winter, 

 when they were invariably very wild and shy. 



Mr. Charles Watson, Duns, has informed me that a 

 specimen of this bird was shot at Chirnside on the 27th of 

 April 1878 ; and Mr. Peter Cowe states that an example 

 was killed on a pond at Lochton in 1884. 



The Shell-Duck nests in burrows on sandy links by the 

 sea-sliore, one of its breeding places being between Holy 

 Island and Bamborough on the Northumberland coast.^ 



It may be easily distinguished by a broad band of rich 

 chestnut which extends from the lower part of the white 

 breast over the back at the base of the neck. 



J Birds of Nurthumherland imd Durham, by J. Hancock, j). 1.50. 



