54 BRITISH BIRDS 



Crustacea, insects and fish, but they also eat grain and 

 seeds when other food is not to be had. In confine- 

 ment they will thrive on a judicious mixture of both 

 kinds of diet. 



The weight of an adult specimen is close on 3 pounds, 

 and the length about 2 feet i inch, or 2 feet 2 inches. 

 The beak is orange, the head and upper neck glossy 

 black, the lower neck white, and the breast and back of 

 the neck at its lower part rufous brown ; the wings are 



COMMON'SHELDRAKES. 



black,~white and green, and the rest of the body is white, 

 except the tip of the tail, which is black. The female 

 resembles her mate generally, but is smaller and her 

 colours are less brilliant. 



The Ruddy Sheldrake has the bill a dark slate 

 grey; the head and neck are yellowish brown. A narrow 

 black ring surrounds the junction of the neck and body, 

 the lesser wing-coverts are pale buff, the greater green 

 with a metallic lustre; the primaries, rump and tail, are 

 black, and the rest of the body ruddy brown ; the legs 

 and feet are blackish-grey. 



