THE SHELDRAKE. 



39 



resource, to grasp the invader in the beak, and hurl themselves 

 and the foe into the sea. Once among the waves, the Puffin is 

 in its natural element, for it is an admirable swimmer and 

 practised diver, being able to catch the swift-finned fishes and 

 bear them home to its nest The foe, therefore, must either 

 remain on dry land or lose the victory, if not its life, for there 

 are few enemies for which the Puffin is not more than a match 

 when in the water. 



There are many other birds which pass a semi-buiTowing life, 

 making their nests in hollows already excavated, and eithei 

 using them without adaptation or altering them very slightly for 

 the purpose of depositing their eggs and rearing their young. 

 The Jackdaw, for example {Corvus monedula) , is frequently one 

 of the semi-burrowers, making its nest within deserted rabbit 

 burrows, when it can find no more congenial locality. The 

 Stockdove {Coluniba cenas) is frequently found in similar situa- 

 tions, placing its rude platform of sticks within the burrow ; 

 and the common Sheldrake {Tadorna Vidpanser) possesses 

 the same habit. 



The nest of the last-mentioned bird is always placed close to 

 the water, so that the young may be fed with marine Crustacea. 

 The female is accustomed to cover the eggs with down plucked 

 from her own breast. Rabbit warrens upon sea-edged cliffs, are 

 favourite resorts of the Sheldrake. In default, however, of 

 rabbit burrows, the Sheldrake is well content with any mode- 

 rately deep holes in the shore, and therein lays her enormous 

 deposit of eggs, which are from ten to fifteen in number, and of 

 a white colour. Burrows thus tenanted may be found in many 

 situations, especially on the banks of estuaries, localities which 

 are always sheltered, and almost always produce an abundant 

 supply of food for the bird and its young brood. 



We often find burrowers where we least expect them. 



Who would think, on inspecting a specimen of the well- 

 known Stormy Petrel (T/ialassidrofna pelagica), that it was 

 able to dig into the ground, and form the burrow in wliich it 



