222 ANAT1D.E. 



239. Spatula olypeata (Linnaeus). The Shoveler. 

 Moorish. Bou-zlafa (father of the bowl). Spanish. Paleton, 



Sardinero, Pato cuchareta. 



" This Duck is, in some winters, common near Tangier, arriving 

 during September and October, leaving for the north in February 

 and March." Favier. 



The Shoveler is met with in considerable numbers on the 

 Spanish side of the Straits, and chiefly frequents shallow waters, 

 as they do in every country in which I "have seen them. They 

 mostly arrive around Gasas Viejas and on the Laguna de Janda in 

 October ; and I have known of their occurrence there in August, 

 but have no certain knowledge of their nesting in the neigh- 

 bourhood ; indeed I never saw any later than the end of April, 

 but Lord Lilford informs me he has fairly good evidence of their 

 breeding in the marisma of the Guadalquivir. 



The only species of the genus found in Europe ; owing to the 

 shape of the bill, they cannot be well mistaken for any other 

 Duck. 



Bill broadly dilated at the end, being twice as broad near the tip as at 

 the base ; wing-spot green. 



Male. Head and neck green ; shoulders pale blue ; iris yellow. 



Female. Dark brown. 



Male in summer. Resembles the female. Length 20 inches. 



240. Daflla acuta (Linnaeus). The Pintail. 



Moorish. Bou-sbula^y^r) ("sbula" is "ear of corn"; "seboula," 

 a " two-edged dagger "). Spanish. Pato rabiido, Pato careto. 



"This Duck is, during the winter season, nearly as plentiful 

 in the vicinity of Tangier as the Wild Duck (Anas boschas). 

 They arrive during September and October, and leave in April 

 and May." Favier. 



On the Spanish side I never found the Pintail before the 

 month of November ; it is exceedingly abundant in some winters 

 on the Laguna de la Janda and other large open pieces of water, 



