BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 347 



Materials. Sometimes a few dead fern-fronds, 

 or blades of dried grass, at others nothing whatever. 



Egg, One ; pure white, smooth, and large for 

 the size of the layer. Size about 2.4 by 1.65 in. 



Time. 'May and June. 



Remarks. Resident, but subject to much local 

 movement, except during the breeding season. 

 Notes : a low guttural crooning, delivered in their 

 holes, and when they fly at night time notes that 

 sound like "It's your fault," "Kitty koo-roo," or 

 " It-y-corka" Local and other names : Shearwater 

 Petrel, Manx Puffin, Cuckle, Skidden, Scraib, Fac- 

 hach, Lyrie, Scrapire. Gregarious. A close sitter. 



SHELDRAKE. Also COMMON SHELDRAKE 

 or BURROW DUCK. 



(Tadorna contuta.) 

 Order ANSERES ; Family ANATIM: (DUCKS). 



Description of Parent Birds. Length twenty- 

 four to twenty-six inches ; bill fairly long, thick 

 at the base, depressed in the middle, slightly 

 hooked at the tip, and red in colour. On the top 

 of the upper mandible, at the base, is a large fleshy 

 knob. Irides reddish - brown. Head and upper 

 parts of neck dark green ; lower half of neck white 

 all round ; upper parts of breast and back, rump, 

 wing, and upper tail-coverts white ; scapulars and 

 a portion of secondaries blackish ; outer webs of 

 inner secondaries rich chestnut. On the last-named 

 feathers is a patch of rich purple-green ; primaries 

 almost black ; tail-quills white, except at the tips, 

 where they are black ; in the middle of the lower 

 breast and belly the feathers are dark brown ; sides, 



