300 THE WILD DUCK. 



approach of the fowler. Here, in multitudes, and 

 long before the season for courtship, they will be 

 hurrying and scrambling about the whole day, never 

 at rest ; but, as if holding a general council of ways 

 and means, there they are, in the middle of the lake, 

 now up, now down, always busy, and always loud ; 

 going off at night time to feed in the woods or ditches, 

 or to adjacent meadows : they are too wary to approach 

 in the day time. 



In Norfolk, the shoveller duck is called, provin- 

 cially, beck, or scopper-bill. They breed in this 

 county. Colonel Hawker says, " that the flappers of 

 this species are easier found, and show more sport, 

 than those of the common wild duck. Their flesh, 

 too, is of superior flavour. There is a variety of this 

 kind, called the Red-breasted Shoveller ; for which, as 

 well as all other varieties of wild fowl, I have found 

 the coast of Norfolk to be the best. This, no doubt, 

 is in consequence of its being nearest to Holland ; 

 from whence there are driven across the channel, 

 by a strong easterly wind, many birds that will 

 seldom travel farther to the westward." The birds 

 brought principally to the London poulterers' shops, 

 are the packards or dunbirds, taken in immense 

 numbers by decoy, of which we subjoin the account 

 given by Mr. Daniel : " The packard, or dunbird, 

 is about the size of a widgeon, weighs one pound 

 twelve ounces ; its length is nineteen inches, breadth, 

 two feet and a half; the bill is broader than the 

 widgeon's, of a deep lead colour, with a black tip ; 



