SHOVELER. 149 



and a change of colour in others, is very remarkable in the 

 Pintail ; and Colonel Montagu was the first, I believe, to 

 record in print the annual change which takes place in that 

 species. The change which the Mallard undergoes has 

 since been observed and described by Mr. Waterton. The 

 Shoveler and others also suffer a partial change of this sort, 

 to be hereafter noticed. The cause or the utility of this 

 change has not been explained, that I am aware of. Mr. 

 Gould says, " as we have observed that this change is com- 

 mon to the males of those species that more especially breed 

 in marshes, among reeds, &c., and as it generally takes place 

 at the period of incubation, may it not serve as a protection 

 to the species by rendering the fostering parent less con- 

 spicuous at this critical period, than he would be were he 

 to retain the gay nuptial dress, which would present so 

 strong a contrast to the sombre-tinted vegetation among 

 which it is necessary for him to remain, until the young are 

 able to provide for themselves ? But to this view of the 

 subject it may be mentioned, that as soon as the females 

 begin to sit, the males desert them, and the whole charge 

 of each young brood devolves upon the female, the males 

 going together in small flocks, intent only on providing for 

 and taking care of themselves. 



The Shoveler is to be considered generally as a winter 

 visiter to this country, but some remain every year to breed. 

 They inhabit marshes, lakes, rivers, and muddy shores, se- 

 lecting their food in shallow water, by the instrumentality 

 of their sensible beak, the laminated sides of which being 

 abundantly supplied with nerves, enable them to retain the 

 nutritious, and reject the useless. They feed on some grasses 

 and other vegetables, with worms, aquatic and other insects, 

 even some insects that are winged ; Gesner, on that account, 

 called this species Anas muscaria, and Vieillot says, that 

 at the present time, one of its common names in France is 



