138 THE BRITISH NATURE BOOK 



greenish black ; body white, chestnut band round upper part ; black on 

 shoulders ; tail black ; beak red. The strange fact about the coloration 

 is that at a distance it appears simply black and white, magpie-hued in fact. 

 It is a resident, found in large estuaries chiefly, scarce in the South-east. 

 Large flocks of migrants also arrive for the winter. It generally makes a 

 nest in a tunnel or burrow, near the sea, laying seven to twelve eggs, creamy 

 white. It feeds on sand-hoppers and other small crustaceans, etc., obtaining 

 worms by rapidly beating the sand with its feet. 



While feeding it is a noisy bird, the drake uttering a curious hissing whistle, 

 the duck a real " Quack." In the North Frisian Islands artificial burrows 

 are made for the bird, and the eggs are regularly taken by the people until June. 



Shoveller. The drake has a beautiful plumage: glossy green head, and 

 handsome chestnut under parts, conspicuous against the white of the neck 

 and rump ; but the species is identified by the remarkable beak, which is 

 specially broad and dark-coloured. It is chiefly a fresh-water bird, feeding 

 at night. Its powerful and noisy flight has earned for it the local name of 

 " Rattle-wings " ; the drake utters a croaking " Honk-honk." The nest may 

 be anywhere on the ground in a meadow or marsh ; the eggs are greenish or 

 grey-buff. 



Skua, Arctic. The Skuas are the " pirates of the bird world," robbing 

 other birds of the fish they have caught, and taking the eggs and young of 

 other species. In addition, they feed on carrion, molluscs, and crustaceans, 

 etc. The Arctic Skua is smaller than the Great Skua, and has a long-pointed 

 tail. There are two distinct varieties, the first being all brown, the second 

 having white on the neck and under parts. This bird only breeds in a few 

 places in Scotland, being elsewhere a winter visitor only. It breeds in colonies 

 on hummocky moorland, the nests being some distance apart ; they are de- 

 pressions lined scantily with bits of grass and heather. Two eggs are laid, 

 varying in shape and colour from pale olive-green to deep brown, with spots 

 and blotches. [The POMATHORINE SKUA and BUFFON'S, or the LONG-TAILED 

 SKUA, are only rare cold-weather visitors.] The Arctic Skua utters a wild 

 mewing call ; the Great Skua a croaking " Ag-ag," or a loud " Ay-er, ay-er." 



Both species defend their nests with ferocious courage, attacking even a 

 human intruder with violent blows, not of wing or beak, but oifeet. 



Skua, Great (BoNXiE). This species, a large brown bird, with hooked upper 

 mandible and white patch on the wings, breeds only in the Shetlands, but is 

 an uncommon winter visitor to other parts. It breeds in colonies, on slopes 

 high above the sea, laying two eggs of olive-brown or green, with darker 

 blotches and spots. 



Swan, Mute. This bird is familiar to everybody. Its red beak and black 

 " berry " above the beak identify it from the WHOOPER (60 inches) and the 

 BEWICK (50 inches), which have yellow bills, and are only winter visitors. 

 The Mute Swan is said to have been introduced into this country by Richard 

 Cceur de Lion. The earliest reference in writing is found in a MS. of 1272. 



