Their Eggs and Nests. 219 



^ y / COMMON SHIELDRAKE ( Tadorna cormcta ; 

 ^ formerly, T. viilpa7iser). 



Burrow Duck, Skel Goose, Bar Goose. — One of the 

 most extremely beautiful of all our wild fowl, or even of 

 those which for their beauty are selected to be orna- 

 mental accessions to the waters of the park or pleasure- 

 ground. Its plumage is so beautiful and clear and 

 brilliant, and its attitude in repose so graceful, one 

 cannot but admire it greatly. It breeds not un- 

 commonly on many sandy parts of our coasts, occupy- 

 ing the deep rabbit- burrows, which are found in what 

 are called the " sand-hills," to place its nest in. The 

 nest is one really made of bents and dry stalks, and 

 lined or cushioned with down liberally plucked from 

 the builder's own breast. Tlie number of ecfo-s laid 

 varies between eight or nine and twelve or fourteen. 

 They are nearly or quite white, about 2f inches long 

 by nearly 2 in breadth. I. have known instances in 

 which the eggs obtained from one of their nests have 

 been hatched under a common Hen. The young 

 seemed to accustom themselves to their life of restraint 

 tolerably well, but never showed any disposition to 

 pair or breed. Probably it might be because no suit- 

 able hole for a nest was within their reach. The 

 male of this species is known to assist the female in 

 the labours and constraint of incubation. 



^^^' WILD DUCK or MALLARD— (^";/^j boschas). 



By far the most common of all our wild fowl among 

 the Ducks, but lessening, year by year, in the numbers 

 which visit us. Within my own recollection many 



