COMMON SHELDRAKE. 521 



limits it breeds throughout Europe in suitable localities. In the basin of 

 the Mediterranean it is principally known as a winter visitor^ though a few 

 remain to breed on both shores. It is a resident in the basins of the Black 

 and Caspian Seas, but to Turkestan and Mongolia it is only known as a 

 summer visitor. It is probably a resident in Japan^ and is a winter visitor 

 to the coasts of China and India as far south as lat. 22°. The Common 

 Sheldrake has no ally with which it is likely to be confused. 



The breeding-grounds of the Sheldrake are for the most part mild 

 enough for it to be a resident, but in the northern portion of its range it 

 is a migratory bird, arriving in March and leaving in October. It is 

 almost exclusively a marine species, breeding in Europe on sandy coasts ; 

 but in Asia east of the Caspian, in Turkestan and Mongolia, it frequents 

 inland salt lakes, and in Southern Siberia it is confined to the salt steppes. 

 In its winter-quarters in India, though it sometimes visits the broads and 

 large sheets of fresh water, it always seems to prefer the coast. In 

 England it is rarely if ever seen inland, always preferring the sandy coasts, 

 especially where the sand is blown into hills, locally called " links '■' or 

 "dunes.'^ Nowhere is the Sheldrake more abundant than on the west 

 coast of Denmark, where it may almost be said to live in a state of semi- 

 domestication, the peasants making artificial burrows in the sand-hills and 

 robbing the nests systematically until the middle of June, when they allow 

 the birds to begin to sit. Under these circumstances it may almost be 

 said to breed in colonies, but in a truly wild state it is never known to do so. 



The Sheldrake is a somewhat shy bird, and is more or less gregarious 

 even in the midst of the breeding-season. I found it extremely abundant 

 on the shores of the Black Sea, and small parties of them, mostly consist- 

 ing of last year's birds which were probably not breeding, were the most 

 conspicuous objects on the lagoons which are so numerous between the 

 Danube and the coast. The call-note of the Sheldrake, 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 con- 

 stantly be heard, and resembles the syllables kor kor, uttered in a deep 

 tone. The flight of the Sheldrake is performed by slow and laboured beats 

 of the wingSj very unlike the rapid motion of smaller Ducks, and much 

 more resembling that of the Swan. Although the Sheldrake seldom or 

 never dives, it obtains most of its food in shallow water, aquatic plants, 

 mollusks, and various water-insects being obtained in the freshwater 

 lagoons, whilst seaweeds and marine animals of various kinds are sought 

 for on the shore. In searching for food they continually immerse the head 

 and upper half of the body, only the tail and rump being visible. On the 

 land they walk with ease, like a Goose. The Sheldrake resembles the 

 Geese in some of its habits, and frequents the pastures, especially in early 



VOL. III. 2 M 



