The True Ducks. 249 



differ from other species in its mode of 

 feeding, being seldom or never seen with 

 the front part of its body immersed and 

 the hinder part stuck up out of the water. 



Mr. Cordeaux thus describes a peculiar 

 habit of the Shoveller : — " These Ducks, 

 I am told by those who have had the 

 opportunities of watching them, have a 

 curious habit of swimming round and 

 round each other in circles, with the head 

 and neck depressed to the surface of the 

 water ; this they will do for hours to- 

 gether." This, according to Mr. Alfred 

 Newton, as quoted by Mr. Stevenson, is 

 no amatory action, but for the object of 

 procuring food, as a pair, when feeding, 

 " get opposite to one another, and swim 

 round in a circle, holding their heads 

 towards its centre, and their bills plunged 

 into the water perpendicularly and up 

 to the base, while their mandibles are 

 employed in ' bibbling,' to use a Norfolk 

 term. They will swim in this way for 

 ten minutes together, always preserving 

 their relative position on the circumfer- 

 ence of the circle they are describing; 

 then after a pause, and perhaps a slight 

 removal of a yard or two, they will resume 

 their occupation." 



Mr. Seebohm has the following note 



