316 BIRDS IN LONDON 



have remained until the autumn, then disap- 

 peared ; it is not known where they spend the 

 winter. In the same park a pair of pinioned 

 ruddy sheldrakes were kept. In April 1897 

 they were joined by a third bird, a drake, in 

 very beautiful plumage. After being two or 

 three days in their company, he attacked the 

 pinioned drake with great fury and drove 

 him off, and took possession of the duck. 

 The ornamental water of another park has 

 been visited at odd times by several Egyptian 

 geese, sometimes appearing regularly every 

 morning and departing in the evening, at other 

 times making long stays ; and I have heard of 

 many other instances of the kind . 



There are many and good reasons for 

 believing that water-fowl hatched and reared in 

 the parks would, if they went away for a period 

 in autumn and winter, return in spring to breed. 

 A fair trial might be made by giving the eggs 

 of wild birds widgeon, teal, gad well, shoveller, 

 and other suitable British species, to the park 

 ducks when breeding. In this way a London 

 race of each or of a few of these species might 

 be established ; like our black-headed gulls, 

 moorhens, and dabchicks, they would be wild 



