SHIELDKAKE. 171 



They walk in an easy and handsome way, with the neck 

 bent in a graceful manner. They fly strongly and quickly, 

 in a straight line. They dive well. 



These birds feed on marine worms, sandhoppers, small 

 shell- fish, the lesser Crustacea, and the fry of fish, as also 

 on grain and seeds when to be obtained in lieu of the former. 



The note is a shrill whistle. 



Incubation lasts about thirty days. These birds are believed 

 to pair for life: they unite in the second year, when the 

 complete plumage has been assumed. 



The Shieldrake builds in rabbit-holes and other hollows in 

 the earth, often as much as ten or twelve feet from the entrance. 

 Some down plucked from their own breasts is the lining with 

 which the nest is fitted, the remainder being dry grass. 



The eggs are ten or twelve, or even more, it is said thirteen 

 or fourteen in number; but these, in such cases, may possibly 

 have been the produce of two birds. They are nearly perfectly 

 white, having only a very faint tinge of green, and are smooth 

 and shining. 



Male; length, from two feet to two feet two inches; bill, 

 crimson red; there is a knob on its upper part near the 

 forehead: the tooth is black. The upper mandible, which is 

 broad and flat, is grooved on the edges, and depressed in the 

 middle. Iris, dark brown; head, crown, and neck on the back, 

 black glossed with green; nape, white, which colour thence 

 surrounds the neck in a band widened at and towards the front. 

 Chin and throat, black glossed with green; breast, white; across 

 it is a broad band of clear orange chesnut brown, which extends 

 around the bird, and meets on the back just below the nape: 

 a rich dusky dark brown line runs down the lower part of the 

 breast, widened below; about there are some pale yellowish red 

 feathers; back, white. 



The wings have the second feather the longest; greater and 

 lesser wing coverts, white. Of the primaries, some are nearly 

 black, and the outer webs of the secondaries are glossed with 

 golden green, forming what in this tribe is called the speculum: 

 the edges of three or four of these quills are chesnut; some 

 of the tertiaries are nearly black on the outer edges, those of 

 the longest rich chesnut. Tail, white at the base— the tip 

 black; upper and under tail coverts, white. Legs and toes, pale 

 yellowish red; webs, pale yellowish red. 



The female is somewhat less than the male, and her plumage 



