490 ANATID^E. 



THE RUDDY SHELDEAKE. 



TADORNA RUTILA. 



Head and neck buff, passing into orange-brown, which is bounded below by a 

 black ring ; general plumage rusty yellow ; primaries and tail black ; second- 

 aries lustrous with green and purple ; middle wing-coverts pure white ; bill 

 and legs black. Length twenty-three inches. Eggs white. 



ONLY a few specimens of this bird have been obtained 

 in Great Britain. It appears to be more abundant in Asia 

 and the East of Europe than in any of the countries of 

 the West of Europe, and in habits it is said to resemble 

 the next species, building its nest either in hollows 

 which it excavates for itself, or in the deserted holes of 

 marmots. The Sheldrake is placed first in the list of the 

 Ducks, because in many respects it resembles the Geese, 

 particularly, as Yarrell observes, " in the circumstance of 

 the females being very nearly in plumage of the same 

 colour as the males, which is not the case with true 

 Ducks." 



THE COMMON SHELDRAKE. 



TADORNA BELLONII. 



Head, throat, and upper back glossy black, with green reflections ; lower parts 

 of the neck and back, flanks, rump and tail (except the black tip) white ; from 

 the shoulders a broad band of bright chestnut, which meets on the breast, 

 passing into a broad, blotched, black band, which passes down the abdomen 

 nearly to the tail ; under tail-coverts pale reddish yellow ; scapulars black ; 

 wing-coverts white ; secondaries chestnut ; primaries black ; speculum bronzed 

 green and purple ; bill, and protuberance at the base, red ; irides brown ; feet 

 crimson-red. The female wants the red protuberance on the bill, and the 

 colours generally are somewhat less bright. Length twenty to twenty-two 

 inches. Eggs white, tinged with green. 



THE Sheldrake is the largest and among the handsomest 

 of the British Ducks, and if easy of domestication would 

 be no doubt a common ornament of our lakes and rivers. 

 It is, however, in Great Britain at least, a marine bird ; 

 though from one of its French names, Canard des Alpes, 

 it would seem also to frequent the large continental lakes. 



