SHIELDRAKE. NATATORES. TADORNA. 289 



COMMON SHIELDRAKE. 



TADORNA VULPANSER, Flem. 

 PLATE XLVIII. 



Tadorna Vulpanser, Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 122. sp. 185. 

 Tadorna Bellonii, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 72. pi. 45. 

 Anas Tadorna, Linn. Syst. 1. 195. 4 Gmel. Syst. 1. 506. 4 Lath. Ind. 



Ornith. 2. 854. sp. 56 Rail Syn. 140. A. I. Will. 278. t. 70 Briss. 



Ornith. 6. 344. 9. t. 33. f. 2. 



La Tadorne, Buff. Ois. 9. 205. t. 14 Id. PI. Enl. 53. 



Canard Tadorne, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 834. 



Brandente, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 976 Meyer, Taschenb. Deut. 2. 534. 



Shieldrake, Br. Zool. 2. 589. No. 278 Arct. Zool. 2. 972. D Will. 



(Angl.) 363. t. 70. 71 Albin; 1. t. 94 Lath. Syn. 6. 504. 51 Id. Sup. 



275. Lewirfs Br. Birds, 7- pL 248 Mont. Ornith. Diet. 2. and Sup 



Bewick's Br. Birds, ed. 1826. p. t. 341. 

 Burrow Shieldrake, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 72. pi. 45. 

 Common Shieldrake, Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 122. sp. 45. 



PROVINCIAL Bergander, Shieldrake, Burrow Duck, Pirennet, Sly-goose, 

 St George's Duck, Stockannet, Skelgoose, Skeeling-goose. 



THIS bird, distinguished by its parti-coloured plumage and 

 graceful shape, is one of the few amongst the Anatidce that 

 can be called indigenous, being found at all seasons of the 

 year upon various parts of the British coast. It is strictly 

 a maritime species, as it is very rarely seen on the rivers or 

 lakes of the interior of the country, and it has even been 

 doubted by some, whether it can long exist without having 

 access to salt water. A sufficient refutation of such an idea 

 is the well known fact of its thriving well when confined to 

 fresh water ponds. The Shieldrake continues in its native 

 haunts through the whole year, and when once paired, seems 

 to live with the same mate till accident or death dissolves the 

 connexion. MONTAGU remarks that the males do not appear 

 to attach themselves to the females till the second year, when 

 they have acquired the adult plumage ; and I have also ob- 

 served this to be the case on the Northumbrian coast, where 

 these birds are common upon such parts as present a barrier 

 of sand-hills, the chosen breeding resort of this species. In 



VOL. ir. T 



