146 FAUNA OF SHROPSHIRE. 



at Ellesmere, and at Attingham, in a half-wild state. 

 A pair used to nest under the English Bridge, in Shrews- 

 bury, but never reared the nestlings; the eggs were 

 generally destroyed by floods or rats, and at length the 

 birds went away altogether. 



SHELDRAKE. This very handsome duck is a shore bird, 



Tadorna comuta. but is often kept in a tame state on 



ornamental pools. Specimens occur 



from time to time in the County ; possibly escaped from 



confinement, but in the winter of 1884-5, a flock of eleven 



wild birds visited the Severn, and several were shot at 



Cressage, Buildwas, and Melverley. The Shelduck and 



drake are shown on page 142, figs. 18 and 19, and all 



the other species of British Ducks on the same page, or 



on page 159. 



WILD DUCK, or Mallard B. This is the species from 

 Atias boschas. which our domestic breeds of Duck 



originated. Many nest with us regu- 

 larly, and more numerously during recent years, but 

 in the winter we are visited by numbers from the North. 

 This bird nests very early in the year amongst sedges, 

 etc., by the water side, and has been known to lay eggs 

 at Christmas. It often inter-breeds with the tame and 

 other species of duck, and it is a curious fact that many 

 other wild species of duck inter-breed, the resultant 

 hybrids being very puzzling to the ornithologist. The 

 Wild Duck has been known to nest occasionally in trees, 

 utilizing the old nest of some other bird. 



Gad wall. Has occurred only twice in Shropshire a speci- 



A.strepera. men in Mr. Bodenham's collection, 



killed on the Severn ; and another at 



