98 BRITISH BIRDS, THEIR EGGS AND NESTft. 



the female in her more unobtrusive hues. The Shoveller's bill is 

 very remarkable, and, as I said of the Oyster-catcher's, a study 

 for all who admire the works of God. It merits our notice for 

 its adaptation to its purposes in a direction just opposite to that 

 which characterizes the bill of the bird just named. Dilated at 

 the sides so as almost to look awkward, it is furnished with a 

 large series of very sensitive laminae or plates, such that the 

 minute objects which form a considerable portion of the bird's food 

 may be instantly detected by the sense of touch, and retained. It 

 used to breed very commonly in many parts of the kingdom, 

 Norfolk and the Een districts for instance, as well as in Romney 

 Marsh and other places more in the south of the Island. At 

 present it has become comparatively rare. The nest is made of 

 fine grass, and the eggs are eventually enveloped in down pro- 

 cured from the bird's own breast. The eggs may be from eight 

 to twelve in number, white, tinged with a greenish-dun shade, and 

 about 2 inches long by 1-| broad. 



244. GAD WALL (Anas strepera). 



Hodge, Grey Duck. A Duck which occurs in no very great 

 numbers at any time ; mostly about the end of the winter, or in 

 spring ; and is not known to breed commonly in any part of 

 Europe. 



245. PINTAIL DUCK (Anas acuta). 

 Cracker, Winter Duck. An early visitor to our shores when 

 winter has once urged the wild fowl hosts to leave their northern 

 nesting-places. It is not, however, a numerous bird with us, but 

 abounds in many of the northernmost countries of Europe. 



246. BIMACULATED DUCK (Anas glocitans). 

 Ilather a handsome bird in plumage and markings, but one of 

 rare occurrence, and of which or its habits very little is known. 



247. WILD DUCK (^s loschas). 



Mallard. By far the most common of*all our wild fowl among 

 the Ducks, but lessening, year by year, in the numbers which 

 visit us. Within my own recollection many Decoys on the Essex 

 coast were wrought constantly and successfully,, which for many 

 years now have been dismantled and unused. I well remember, 

 when I was a lad of ten or twelve, being at a house in Tolles- 

 hunt D'Arcy, on the farm belonging to which was an active 

 Decoy, and seeing the birds which hao. been taken in the course 

 of one morning. The numbers were so great that many of the 

 undermost Ducks, where the great accumulation had taken place 

 at the end of the " pipe," had died of pressure and suffocation, 

 and some even were sensibly flattened by the superincumbent 



