WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS 



duck that lived on the same food as theydo. My tame birds 

 eat anything, and will take their food out of my hand with- 

 out the least hesitation. They are pugnacious creatures, and 

 the drakes are always the masters of the poultry-yard, pur- 

 suing the other birds with a peculiar croaking quack. The 

 sheldrakes breed in old rabbit-holes, laying their eggs sev- 

 eral feet under ground. When I am on the sandhills in May, 

 early in themorning, I frequentlysee their tracks in and out 

 of the holes. It is curious to watch the male bird standing 

 and strutting in the sun on some hillock waiting for the fe- 

 male, who is employed in her domestic duties under ground. 

 When she appears, the drake goes to her, and after a short 

 flirtation they fly away together to the sea-shore. When the 

 hen is sitting, she leaves the nest during the time of low 

 water, appearing to have an instinctive knowledge of when 

 that time arrives, as it is the part of the day in which she can 

 most quickly procure her food. This done, she returns to 

 her nest, and after wheelingseveral times over it to see that 

 nothing is amiss, she alights and walks to her hole.The shel- 

 drake has a quick, smart step, quite unlike the waddling 

 gait of most ducks. When hatched, the young take at once 

 to the sea, and never seem to leave it or the sand-banks till 

 their plumage is complete. I have occasionally found a large 

 flockof youngbirds nearly full grown on the sands, but never 

 could manage to catch one, as they run with great rapidity 

 and dash into the sea before I can get up to them. 



The flight of the sheldrake is not so rapid or easy as that 

 of other ducks, rather resembling the heavy flapping of a 

 goose than the quick flight of a wild duck. I cannot under- 

 stand why this beautiful bird is not oftener kept on orna- 



234 



