LXX. SHELDKAKE. 



THIS beautiful bird is common here in summer. I have seen a 

 score of them together flying about over Loch Moidart in the 

 springtime. They frequent the shore here, and build in the 

 rocky islands in the open sea at the mouth of Loch Ailort. 

 The nest in the illustration was done on Eilan Treen. It was 

 in the hollow of a turf bank, well concealed, as it is the custom 

 of bright- coloured birds to put their nests out of sight. There 

 was a circle of grey down round the eggs. We got on that island 

 a young one, from which the picture is taken, and which we 

 attempted in vain to rear. The Countess of Selkirk had a little 

 flock of Sheldrakes in a pond at Balmae, in Kirkcudbrightshire. 

 They were reared under hens and were quite tame, and used to 

 come at call to be fed. However, they did not remain there 

 long ; but when full-grown, all of them that were not pinioned 

 flew away back to their native ocean, which was not far off. 



The Sheldrake differs from other ducks in that the plumage 

 is alike in both sexes, and does not appear to change according 

 to the time of year; also, that the male assists in hatching and 

 rearing the young, a work that other drakes leave entirely to 

 the female, going off to a distance to moult while the duck 

 is in her nest. 



The male Swan is also exceptional among the anatidas in this 

 respect, helping to rear and to defend his offspring. I have seen 

 one pursue a boat, with great fury, that came nearer than it 

 approved of to its incubating mate. This philo-progenitive 

 instinct seems to go along with the similarity of plumage in 

 the sexes. It is strong in the domestic Gander; and among 

 the gallinaceous birds is the same, or nearly so. The Grouse, 



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