ANATIN^E. TADORNA. 163 



each side of the back, including the scapulars, and the pri- 

 mary quills and coverts, which are black ; the outer second- 

 aries green, some of the inner externally red, and the lower 

 tail-coverts brownish-yellow. Female smaller, but similarly, 

 though less brightly coloured, and without the fleshy knob on 

 the forehead. 



Male, 24, 46, 13J-, 5, 2, lif, 2 T ^, &. 



This very beautiful bird is permanently resident in Britain, 

 and is sparingly met with along our coasts, in most places 

 suitable to its habits, from the south of England to the Shet- 

 land Islands on one side, and the northern Hebrides on the 

 other. It seems to continue in pairs all the year round, al- 

 though frequently in winter and spring large flocks may be 

 seen. It feeds chiefly in wet pastures near the sea, in marshy 

 places, and on wet sands. It walks with ease, and flies witli 

 speed, in the manner of the Mallard, with more rapid beats 

 of the wings than the Geese. The nest is placed in a hole 

 in the sand or pasture -ground, near the shore, and is lined 

 with down. The eggs, from eight to twelve, are oval, smooth, 

 glossy, thin-shelled, white, slightly tinged with red ; their 

 length about two inches and nine-twelfths, their breadth an 

 inch and ten-twelfths. The young presently betake them- 

 selves to the sea or marshes. 



Shieldrake. Skeldrake. Skelgoose. Skeeling Goose. 

 Burrow Duck. St George's Duck. Sly Goose. Bergander. 

 Stockannet. 



Anas Tadorna, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 195. Anas Tadoraa, 

 Lath. Ind. Ornith. ii. 854. Anas Tadorna, Temm. Man. 

 d'Ornith. ii. 833. Tadorna Vulpanser, Burrow Shielduck, 

 MacGillivray, Brit. Birds, v. 



244. TADORNA CASARCA. RUDDY SHIELDUCK. 



Male twenty-three inches long, with the bill very slightly 

 rearcuate, destitute of basal protuberance ; the wing with a 

 blunt tubercle ; the tail of fourteen feathers ; the bill and 

 feet black ; the head and upper half of the neck pale grey, 

 the latter tinged with yellow ; a narrow collar of greenish- 

 black ; the rest of the neck, and the upper and lower parts 

 of the body light yellowish-red ; the hind part of the back 

 and the tail greenish-black ; the wing- coverts white ; the pri- 

 mary quills and coverts black, the secondary quills deep pur- 

 plish-green. Female smaller, similarly coloured, but with- 

 out grey on the head, it being pale yellow, and the dark col- 

 lar wanting. 



