THE COMMON SHELDRAKE. 493 



Shieldrake, and Sheldrake. I have adopted the latter 

 mode as being the one employed by Willughby,* who 

 adds, moreover, that it is so called on account of its "varie- 

 gated" plumage, in which sense the word "shelled" is 

 still current in the eastern counties of England. 



THE SHOVELLER. 



ANAS CLYPEATA. 



Head and neck glossy green ; breast pure white ; belly and flanks chestnut ; 

 back brown ; lesser wing-coverts pale blue ; scapulars white, speckled and 

 spotted with black ; speculum brilliant green.; bill lead colour ; irides yellow ; 

 feet reddish orange. Female Head pale reddish brown, streaked with dusky ; 

 upper plumage dusky brown, edged with reddish white ; under plumage 

 reddish with large brown spots ; the blue and green of the wings less bright. 

 Length twenty inches. Eggs greenish white. 



THE Shoveller is well distinguished among all the British 

 Ducks by the form and structure of its bill, which in old 

 birds is dilated near the extremity into a form approach- 

 ing that of a spoon, and is furnished with a fringe of 

 slender lamellae, resembling a comb. Towards the end 

 of the bill these are not conspicuous as long as the mouth 

 of the bird is closed, but along the narrower part they are 

 prominent under all circumstances. So singular an appa- 

 ratus obviously indicates that the habit of the Shoveller 

 is to sift water and mud for the sake of securing the insects 

 and worms which they contain. It resorts, therefore, to 

 the margins of fresh-water lakes, ponds, and ditches, and 

 is rarely seen at sea, nor does it ever dive after its food 

 in deep water, but frequently comes to land in quest of 

 slugs, snails, and worms. It is met with from time to 

 time in many parts of England, especially the eastern 

 counties, but is nowhere abundant. Its distaste for the 

 sea disqualifies it for inhabiting the Arctic Regions ; con- 

 sequently it breeds in temperate countries, and flies farther 



* Sheldrakes dicuntur ob colorum varietatem. Willughbeii Orni- 

 thologia, p. 279. 



