BRITISH BIRDS. 



28l 



THE SHIELDRAKE. 



SHELDRAKE, SKEI.DRAKE, OK BURROUGH DUCK. 



(Anas Tadorua, Linn. Canard tadorne, Temm.) 



THE male of this prettily-marked species mea- 

 sures about two feet in length, three and a half 

 in breadth, and weighs commonly two pounds ten 

 ounces. The bill is red, with the nail and nos- 

 trils black: the upper mandible is broad, flat, and 

 grooved on the edges towards the point, where it 

 has rather a cast upwards; it is also depressed in 

 the middle, and raised into a knob or tubercle at 

 the base. The head, and upper part of the neck, 

 are of a glossy dark or bottle green : the lower 

 part of the neck, to the breast, is encircled with 

 white, and joined by a broad band of bright or- 

 ange bay, which is spread over, and covers the 



VOL. II. 2 X 



