SHOVELLLEK. 97 



arc found wild in many, if not all, the northern countries of 

 Europe. It is too well known by everyone to require detailed 

 notice here. 



240. POLISH SWAN (Cygnus immutabilis). 

 A bird of very rare occurrence in a wild state, and deriving its 

 Latin name from the circumstance that its plumage undergoes no 

 change in colour at any period of its age. It is always white. 

 The cygnets of the other swans are, on the contrary, grey or 

 dusky-coloured for a lengthened period, and only become white 

 on their reaching maturity. 



241. RUDDY SHIELDRAKE (Tadorna rutild). 



A bird of exceedingly rare occurrence. 

 242. COMMON SHIELDRAKE (Tadorna vulpanser). 



Burrow Duck, Skel goose, Bar goose. One of the very most 

 beautiful of all our wild fowl, or even of those which for their 

 beauty are selected to be ornamental accessions to the waters of 

 the park or pleasure-ground. Its plumage is so beautiful and 

 clear and brilliant, and its attitude in repose so graceful, one 

 cannot but admire it greatly. It breeds not uncommonly on 

 many sandy parts of our coasts, occupying the deep rabbit-bur- 

 rows, which are found in what are called the " sand-hills," to 

 place its nest in. The nest is one really, made of bents and dry 

 stalks and lined or cushioned with down liberally plucked from 

 the bui der's own breast. The number of eggs laid varies between 

 eight or nine and twelve or fourteen. They are nearly or quite 

 white, about 2| inches long by nearly 2 in breadth. I have 

 known instances in which the eggs obtained from one of their 

 nests have been hatched under a common hen. The young 

 seemed to accustom themselves to their life of restraint tolerably 

 well, but never showed any disposition to pair or breed. Pro- 

 bably it might be because no suitable hole for a nest was within 

 their reach. The male of this species is known to assist the 

 female in the labours and constraint of incubation. 



243. SHOVELLER (Anas clypeatd], 



Blue- winged Shoveller, Broad-bill. The first in the list of the 

 true Ducks, and a very beautifully plumaged bird indeed. But 

 gaily feathered as he is, and brilliant as is a part, at least, of the 

 plumage of all the male Ducks during a certain portion of the 

 year, yet it is remarkable that they all undergo a change in this 

 respect about the breeding time, just the reverse of that which 

 takes place in the males of so many other birds at the same 

 season. They become more brilliant, or their colours deeper or 

 richer then : the male ducks duskier, plainer coloured, more like 



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