i«4 THE COMMON SHELD-DRAKE 



THE COMMON SHELD-DRAKE 



TADORNA CORNUTA 



Head, throat, and upper back black, with green reflections ; lower parts 

 of the neck and back, flanks, ramp and tail (except the black tip) white ; 

 from the shoulders a broad band of bright chestnut, which meets on the 

 breast, passing into a broad, blotched, black band, which passes down the 

 abdomen nearly to the tail ; under tail-coverts pale reddish yellow ; 

 scapulars black ; wing-coverts white ; secondaries chestnut ; primaries 

 black ; speculum bronzed green and purple ; bill, and protuberance at 

 the base, red ; irides brown ; feet crimson-red. The female wants the 

 red protuberance on the bill, and the colours generally are somewhat 

 less bright. Length twenty to twenty-two inches. Eggs white, tinged 

 with green. 



The Sheld-drake is the largest and among the handsomest of the 

 British Ducks, and if easy of domestication would be no doubt a 

 common ornament of our lakes and rivers. It is, however, in 

 Great Britain at least, a marine bird ; though from one of its 

 French names, Canard des Alpcs, it would seem also to frequent 

 the large continental lakes. Numerous attempts have been made 

 to familiarize it with inland fresh-water haunts to which some other 

 species readily take, but they have rarely succeeded, while to 

 induce it to breed at a distance from its seaside home has proved 

 yet more difficult. 



It differs from the majority of the Duck tribe in remaining on 

 the coast of Britain throughout the year. In South Wales, for 

 example, it is seen in winter and early spring, but about the breed- 

 ing season it disappears for a few weeks. During this interval it 

 is employed in incubation, but when its brood is hatched it is seen 

 again, accompanied by a troop of ducklings, feeding in the creeks 

 and marshy places. When thus discovered, the young broods 

 are commonly hunted down by seaside idlers for the sake of being 

 sold to any one who cares to try the experiment of rearing them. 



On the coast of Norfolk it is more usual to search for the nests, 

 in order to secure the eggs and place them under a tame Duck or 

 domestic Hen. The male and female keep together, not only 

 during incubation, but until the young are able to provide for them- 

 selves. It derives the name ' Burrow Duck ', by which it is also 

 known, from its custom of making its nest either in the burrow 

 of a rabbit or in a hole hollowed out by itself. The nest is con- 

 structed of such herbage as abounds in the neighbourhood ; it is 

 lined with down plucked from the breast of the parent bird, and 

 contains from ten to twelve eggs. 



Pennant (vol. ii, p. 257) says of these birds : " They inhabit 

 the sea-coasts and breed in rabbit-holes. When a person attempts 

 to take their young, the old birds show great address in diverting 

 his attention from the brood ; they will fly along the ground as if 



