COMMON SHELLDRAKE. 143 



Their food is various, namely, seaweed, bivalve and other 

 shelled niollusca, sandhoppers, sea-worms, marine insects, and 

 the remains of shell-fish. I have found the stomach of this 

 species filled with very minute bivalve and univalve mollusca 

 only, as though they had sought no other food ; a predilec- 

 tion which may have given rise to the name of Shell-drake ; 

 and tlie term Shield-drake may have had its origin in the 

 frequent use made of this bird in Heraldry: the family of 

 Brassey, of Hertfordshire,* and several other families in this 

 country, bearing in their arms this bird on their shield, and 

 sometimes as a crest. In captivity they feed on grain of any 

 sort, soaked bread, and vegetables. Their note is a shrill 

 whistle. The flesh of the Shieldrake is coarse and bad, dark 

 in colour, and unpleasant both in smell and flavour. 



Montagu and other writers have mentioned that this spe- 

 cies does not breed readily in confinement. The following- 

 hint may be of service. When the Zoological Society first 

 had a pair of these birds, they exhibited no signs of breeding, 

 but their natural hal)its being consulted by putting them into 

 another place, where there was a bank of earth, into which 

 some holes were purposely made, the birds immediately took 

 to one of the holes and went to nest there, bringing out a 

 brood in 183.5, and again in 1836. Of what has happened 

 Avith them since I have no notes ; but in the present season, 

 1841, there is a fine and numerous show of young birds, from 

 which the description of the plumage of the birds of the year in 

 their immature dress will be hereafter given. As observed by 

 Mr. Selby, the young birds soon become tolerably tame, and 

 answer to the call of the person who feeds them ; when fully 

 fledged, however, being very active, they are apt to stray 

 away, and if left unpinioned, generally in time fly entirely 

 oW, though they have been known, in some instances, to re- 

 turn after an absence of many months. 



* Brassey bears quarterly, per fess indented sable and argent, in the first 

 (luni ter, a Shieldrake. Crest on a mount, a Shieldrake. 



