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CHAPTEE XXVI. 



The Other Species of Duck in Norway. 



THE common shieldrake (Tadorna vulpanser) is pretty 

 common on all the Norwegian lakes and fjords, espe- 

 cially on Lake Mjosen and on the small lakes in 

 Thelemarken ; it is called here the ring-gaas, probably 

 from the band of bright red-brown which passes round 

 the breast and on to the back ; its Swedish name is 

 graf-and, or burrowing duck, no doubt because the 

 female often nests in rabbit burrows by the seaside ; 

 if she leaves her nest during the season of incubation 

 for too long a time the male drives her back with his 

 wings. Pontoppidan asserts that the male and female 

 sit by turns on the eggs, and that the ducklings are 

 hatched in four weeks. 



The ruddy shieldrake (T. rutila). Very seldom to 

 be met with in this country. Norwegian naturalists 

 know little or nothing of its habits. 



The shoveller (Anas clypeata) is another rare bird 

 here, but has been shot near Christiania and also in 

 Finmark ; called here the skovl-and, or shovel duck ; 

 the nest is made of grass, and is lined with the down 



