142 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xvin. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



Sheldrake: Nest; Food Teal: Breeding-places; Anecdotes Landrail; 

 Arrival of Cuckoo Nightjar : Habits of Quail Grebe : Arrival ; 

 Account of Nest and Young Baldcoot Water-Hen Water-Kail. 



BESIDES the birds mentioned in the last chapter there are several 

 others which come here to breed, such as the sheldrake, the 

 corncrake, the cuckoo, &c. 



I should certainly call the sheldrake the most beautiful bird 

 of the duck tribe that visits this country. His clear black and 

 white plumage, the beautiful bronze on the wing, and the bright 

 red bill, give it a particularly gay and at the same time neat 

 appearance. They arrive here in March or the end of February. 

 They float in large flocks in the sheltered creeks and bays, swim- 

 ming high in the water and making a great show. When the 

 tide recedes, they take to the sands in search of their food, which 

 consists of shell-fish, the sea-worms, &c. Their manner of 

 catching the latter is curious. When the sheldrake perceives 

 that he is above the hole of one of these insects, which he 

 knows by the worm-casts similar to those of a common earth- 

 worm, he begins patting the ground with his feet, dancing as it 

 were over the hole. This motion on the sands generally brings 

 the worm out of his abode. My tame sheldrakes, when they 

 come to ask for food, pat the ground in an impatient and rapid 

 manner, their natural instinct evidently suggesting this as the 

 usual way of procuring food. Though among the most wary of 

 birds when wild, their sharp eye detecting the least movement, 

 yet they become extremely fearless and bold when once domes- 

 ticated, and certainly no bird is more ornamental. They breed 

 freely in a tame state, if allowed a certain degree of liberty, and 

 I have no doubt would be quite as good eating as a common 

 duck when fed on corn and clean food. In their wild state they 

 have a rank fishy flavour, but so would any duck that lived on 

 the same food as they do. My tame birds eat anything, and 



