244 BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



Sboveller. 



THE Shoveller {Anas cfypeata, Linnaeus) is principally a 

 winter visitor to the British Isles, but a few are always 

 found in the nesting season breeding with us. It also in- 

 habits both the Palearctic and Nearctic Regions. The 

 adult male has the centre of back brown, margined with 

 paler; rump and tail-coverts, rich black; tail, black; head 

 and fore part of neck, rich metallic-green; majority of 

 feathers on lower neck and scapulars, white ; elongated 

 scapulars, black, blue, and white ; speculum, bright green ; 

 greater wing-coverts, tipped with white; primaries, black; 

 breast and abdomen, bright rich chestnut; vent, white: 

 under tail-coverts, black; irides, yellow; bill, bluish-slate, 

 and dilated at the end ; legs and feet, orange. Length, 



