CHAPTER EIGHTEEN SPRING BIRDS 



BESIDES the birds mentioned in the last chap- 

 ter there are several others which come here to 

 breed, such as the sheldrake, the corncrake, the 

 cuckoo, fife. 

 I should certainly call the sheldrake the most beautiful 

 bird of the duck tribe that visits this country. His clear black 

 and white plumage, the beautiful bronze on the wing, and 

 the bright red bill, give it a particularly gay and at the same 

 time neat appearance. They arrive here in March or the end 

 of February. They float in large flocks in the sheltered creeks 

 and bays, swimming high in the water and making a great 

 show. When the tide recedes, they take to the sands in search 

 of theirfood, which consists of shell-fish, the sea- worms, drc. 

 Their manner of catching the latter is curious. When the 

 sheldrake perceives that he is above thehole of oneof these 

 insects, which he knows by the worm-casts similar to those 

 ofa common earth-worm, he beginspatting the groundwith 

 his feet, dancing as it were over the hole. This motion on 

 the sands generally brings the worm out of his abode. My 

 tame sheldrakes, when they come to ask for food, pat the 

 ground in an impatient and rapid manner, their natural in- 

 stincts evidently suggesting this as the usual way of pro- 

 curing food. Though among the most wary of birds when 

 wild, their sharp eye detecting the least movement, yet they 

 become extremely fearless and bold when once domestic- 

 ated, and certainly no bird is more ornamental. They breed 

 freely in a tame state, if allowed a certain degree of liberty, 

 and I have no doubt would be quite as good eating as a 

 common duck when fed on corn and clean food. In their 

 wild state they have a rank fishy flavour, but so would anv 

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