474 



BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 



year, being still of a dusky horn-colour, with a 

 slight pinkish or reddish tinge, and he adds there is 

 little prospect of its assuming the bright orange 

 colour this (its second) year. He could not, how- 

 ever, complete his observations, as the Cygnet 

 escaped in the next April; the beak had not then, 

 however, completely acquired its colour, as it was 

 mostly of a pinkish colour, with little appearance of 

 orange. 



The eggs are of a uniform dull greenish white. 



SHELLDRAKE or BURROW DUCK, Tadorna vul- 

 panser. This beautiful Duck is resident and com- 

 mon on the greater part of our coast, breeding in 

 the rabbit-holes amongst the sand-hills, which reach 

 almost from Burnham to Weston-super-Mare, and 

 on the cliffs at Brean Down, and probably at other 

 places both on this and the other side of the Bristol 

 Channel : besides Somersetshire, the Burrow Duck 

 breeds in many other counties in England which are 

 suited to its habits. 



These birds collect in considerable numbers at 

 their various breeding stations, from about May till 

 July or August, after which time they become more 

 scarce in that immediate locality, imitating in this 

 respect many of the Gulls, but they are still to be 

 found spread over the great expanse of mud and 

 shallow water in the Bristol Channel throughout the 

 year. On the wing this is a beautiful bird, flying 

 more easily and lightly than any of the other Ducks; 



