THE SHOVELLER. 123 



but its powers of flight are considerable, its progression 

 being strong and rapid. 



The nest is made of fine grasses, and is usually placed 

 in a tuft of grass or rushes, and beyond the reach of 

 the water. Eight or nine eggs are laid ; they are of a 

 buffy-white colour, tinged with green, a little more than 

 two inches in length, and about one inch and a half 

 in breadth. During the time of hatching the female 

 Shoveller covers the eggs over with down, plucked from 

 her breast. 



As an article of food, the Shoveller is said to be 

 excellent, one authority describing it as, u tender, juicy, 

 and of good flavour." 



The plumage is handsome, and the markings well de- 

 fined. The length of the male is about twenty inches ; the 

 beak is lead colour ; the irides yellow ; the whole of the 

 head and upper part of the neck green ; lower part of the 

 neck, scapulars, and some of the tertials white ; middle of 

 the back brown, the feathers having lighter coloured mar- 

 gins ; point of the wing, lesser wing-coverts, and outer web 

 of some of the tertials pale blue ; greater wing-coverts 

 white ; primaries and secondaries dark brown, almost black, 

 but the speculum is green ; rump, upper tail-coverts, and 

 tail feathers almost black ; the breast and the whole of the 

 belly a rich chestnut brown ; thighs freckled with dark 

 brown, on a grounding of lighter pale brown ; vent white ; 

 under tail-coverts black; legs, toes, and membranes a 

 reddish-orange ; nails black. 



In summer the male changes the green colour of the 

 head and neck to brown, spotted with very dark brown; 

 the breast and belly are ferruginous, spotted with black; 

 the legs are orange. 



