ANATIDJE. 37 



209. SHELD-DRAKE. Tadorna cornuta (S. G. Grnelin). Eesident. 



Male. Head and neck green, below that a white collar, with a broad 

 chestnut band, covering the breast ; wing-coverts white ; wing-spot 

 or speculum, formed by colours of the outer webs of the secondaries, 

 green ; fleshy knob on base of upper mandible ; bill red ; legs and feet 

 pink. 



Female. Smaller than male ; less bright markings, and no knob on bill. 

 Length 25-26 inches. 



210. EUDDT SHELD-DRAKE. Tadorna casarca (Linnaeus). Of rare Mediterranean 

 occurrence ; introduction may be suspected. region, S. Rus- 



General colour rufous buff; crown light buff; wing-coverts white; 

 wing-spot green ; bill, legs, and feet blackish. 



Sexes alike, except that male has a blackish ring round neck. Length 

 25 inches. 



211. "WILD DUCK (MALLARD, male). Anas boscas, Linnaeus. 

 I Eesident. Sexes differ in plumage. 



"Wing-spot purple ; tail of sixteen feathers ; bill rather longer than 

 head. 



Male. Head and neck green ; four central tail-coverts black, lengthened 

 and curled upwards. 



Female. General colour brown. 



Male in summer. Eesembles female. Length 21 inches. 



/ / 

 / j 



212. GADWALL. Anas strepera, Linnaeus. Chiefly autumn to spring, 

 H^ut now breeds in Norfolk, and doubtless elsewhere. 



Wing-spot white; bill shorter than head, and narrowing slightly 

 towards tip. General colour grey. 

 Male. Chestnut on shoulder of wing. 

 Female. Brown and grey. Length 20 inches. 



^ 213. SHOYELER. Spatula clypeata (Linnaeus). Eesident. 



Bill broadly dilated at the end, being twice as broad near the tip as 

 at the base ; wing-spot green. 



Male. Head and neck green ; shoulders pale blue ; iris yellow. / { 



Female. Dark brown. 



Male in summer. Eesembles the female. Length 20 inches. 



fc 214. PINTAIL. Dafila acuta (Linnaeus). Autumn to spring ; occa- 

 sionally nesting in Ireland. / ' 



Tail graduated, of sixteen feathers, two centre feathers much elongated / 

 in male, slightly so in female ; wing-spot dark green, glossed with copper ; 

 bill as Ions: as head. 



Male. Head, cheeks, chin, sides of neck, and upper neck in front rich 

 dark brown ; two centre tail-feathers black. 



Female. Brown above, greyish white below. Length 24-28 inches. 



