284 BRITISH BIRDS. 



found necessary to pinion or disable a wing to 

 secure them. The Shieldrake has been known to 

 breed with the Common Duck ; but it is not well 

 ascertained whether the hybrids thus produced will 

 breed again or not. 



This species is dispersed, in greater or less num- 

 bers, over the warm, as well as the cold climates,, 

 in various parts of the world : they are met with 

 as far north as Iceland in the spring, and in Swe- 

 den and the Orkney Islands in the winter. Captain 

 Cook notices them, among other sea-fowl, on the 

 coast of Van Dieman's Land, and they have been 

 seen, in great numbers, at the Falkland Islands, 

 Although they are not numerous on the British 

 and the opposite shores, yet they are common 

 enough in the British Isles, where they remain 

 throughout the year, always in pairs, and occa- 

 sionally straggle away from the sea coast to the 

 lakes inland. Our figure was taken from a Wy- 

 cliife specimen. 



