igo BRITISH SEA BIRDS. 



is black), part of the secondaries and innermost 

 scapulars, the wing coverts, the sides of the belly 

 and the flanks, are white; the remainder of the 

 wings and outermost scapulars, and a broad line 

 from the breast to the vent are black ; the alar specu- 

 lum is green ; the tarsus and feet are pink. At a 

 distance the bird looks like a patchwork arrange- 

 ment of black, white, and red, which becomes even 

 more pronounced when it takes flight, and in a slow, 

 Heron-like way, with measured beats of the wings, 

 passes out to sea, or down the coast to more 

 secluded haunts. During the breeding season, this 

 Duck frequents the sand dunes on the English 

 coast, but is rare and local in the south ; in Scot- 

 land it is commoner, and may be met with in almost 

 all places suited to its requirements, including the 

 Hebrides. In Ireland, however, it becomes local 

 and uncommon, although widely dispersed. When 

 the young are reared the bird becomes more widely 

 distributed, but even then its preference for the 

 sand makes it still local. The Sheldrake is known 

 by many provincial names, among which may be 

 mentioned " Burrow Duck," " Bergander," and 

 " Shell-duck." The origin of this Duck's colloquial 

 name is somewhat obscure, although Willughby 

 and Ray attribute it to the bird's strongly-con- 

 trasted plumage "shield" being the East Anglian 

 equivalent for parti-coloured.^ The Old Norse name 



* RAY, English Words, p. 74. 



