138 A HAND -LIST OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Accidental in Europe (France), Azores, and Bering Islands. Re- 

 ported as breeding in Iceland by Mr. F. Coburn (Bull. B.O.C., xn, 

 p. 14), but this statement requires confirmation. 



SPATULA CLYPEATA 



295. Spatula clypeata (L.) THE SHOVELER. 



ANAS CLYPEATA Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 124 (1758 Restricted 



typical locality : S. Sweden). 



Spatula clypeata (Linnaeus), Yarrell, iv, p. 375 ; Saunders, p. 427. 



DISTRIBUTION. England and Wales. Resident, forsaking most 

 breeding-places in autumn and then, as well as in winter, more 

 widely distributed. Since 1876 greatly increased as breeding- 

 species, and now nests Northumberland, Cumberland, Durham, 

 Yorks., Lanes.. Lines., Notts., Staffs., Salop, Warwick., Norfolk, 

 Suffolk, Cambs., Beds., Herts., Essex, Kent, Sussex, Hants., Dorset, 

 Somerset, and Devon. In Wales much scarcer, but nests Anglesey 

 -and once Merioneth. Scotland. Breeds good many places in south 

 and east, in Orkneys, Tiree, since 1903 in 0. Hebrides, and 

 sporadically in north mainland. Increasing. Ireland. Breeds 

 every province. Increasing. 



DISTRIBUTION. Abroad. Northern Hemisphere. Breeds as far 

 north as lat. 68 and in America to Alaska, winters as far south as 

 Senegambia and Somaliland, India and Ceylon, China and Formosa, 

 Hawaiian Islands, and in America to West Indies and Colombia. 

 Casual in Bermudas and Newfoundland, once near Capetown. 



DAFILA ACUTA 



296. Dafila acuta (L.) THE PINTAIL. 



ANAS ACUTA Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 126 (1758 k ' Hab. in 

 Europse maritimis." Restricted typical locality : Sweden). 

 Dafila acuta (Linnaeus), Yarrell, iv, p. 380 ; Saunders, p. 429. 



DISTRIBUTION. British Isles. Resident and winter- visit or. Has 

 bred Skye (I. Hebrides) in 1889, Loch Leven (Fife) since 1898 (and 

 probably before), Selkirk in 1901, South Uist (0. Hebrides) in 1902, 

 Shetlands 1905 and 1908, Orkneys several years, and increased in 

 1910, while a clutch of eggs in Brit. Mus. is labelled " Inverness- 

 shire." May have bred Ireland many years ago. Otherwise 

 regular, but rather scarce, winter- visitor (Sept. -April) to most 

 parts coast and occasionally inland. 



DISTRIBUTION. Abroad. Northern Hemisphere, breeding in north- 

 ern parts from about 70 down to lat. 50, also in south Spain and 

 south France ; in winter south to northern Africa, India, China 



