ANATIN.E. 401 



THE SHIELDKAKE. 



3. Length, 23*5 to 25*25 ; expanse, 41 to 46 ; wing, 12'5 to 

 13'6 ; tail, 475 to 5'5 ; tarsus, 21 to 2'3 ; bill from gape, 2'2 to 

 2'4; weight, 2 T V to 2|* 7 . 



?. Length, 20'8 to 22; expanse, 39 to 42; wing, 1175 to 

 12'4 ; tail, 4'2 to 4'9 ; tarsus, T95 to 2'07 ; bill from gape, 21 to 

 2-2 ; weight, 2 to 2-^ Ibs. 



Bill deep red ; nail dusky ; irides brown ; legs and feet fleshy- 

 pink to fleshy-red. 



Male, head and upper part of neck deep blackish-green, with 

 glossy reflections ; lower part of the neck, back, and wing-coverts, 

 rump, and base of the tail, white, the latter black tipped ; 

 scapulars black ; primaries black ; greater-coverts, forming the 

 speculum, rich bronzed-green, three or four of the secondaries 

 next the black, with their outer webs, rich orange-brown ; lower 

 plumage white ; a broad band of ferruginous-brown across the 

 breast, the ends passing upwards and uniting between the 

 shoulders; a mesial line on the abdomen, widening at the vent, 

 black ; under tail-coverts pale reddish-brown. 



The male is rather brighter in color than the female, and 

 during the breeding season acquires a large fleshy knob at the 

 base of the upper mandible. 



The Shieldrake, within our limits, has only been recorded from 

 Sind, where it occurs as a cold weather visitant. It affects the 

 sea coast principally, but is occasionally found on the larger 

 lakes. 



FAMILY, Anatidae. 



Bill broader at the base than high, shallow, depressed, of nearly 

 equal width throughout, or wider at the tip ; both mandibles 

 with numerous transverse lamellae ; nostrils sub-basal or nearly 

 median ; tarsus moderately short, set far back on the body. 



SUB-FAMILY, Anatinaa. 



Hind-toe not bordered by a membrane ; head of moderate 

 size ; neck long and more or less slender ; bill usually of even 

 width throughout, or wider at the tip, not raised at the base ; 

 lamellae numerous, fine ; legs set a little more forward than in 

 the next group, and they can walk tolerably well ; the wings 

 of most are long, and they fly rapidly. 



GENUS, Spatula, Boie. 



Bill long, the upper mandible wide, flattened in front of the 

 nostrils arid much dilated at the tip, or spatulate ; the nail small ; 

 lamellae very fine, like cilia, and projecting ; tail slightly cuneate, 

 of 14 feathers ; tarsus short, cosmopolite. 



Spatula clypeata, Lin. 



957. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 796 ; Butler, Guzerat ; 



