IDENTIFICATION OF DUCKS' EGGS. 19 



The female was eventually shot, and proved to be a 

 speckled mongrel mallard ! Another interesting case 

 was that of an unmistakable Wigeon's egg found in a 

 Wild Duck's nest, with equally unmistakable down of 

 the latter. The Wigeon had laid in the same nest after 

 the larger duck had hatched off. I have known more 

 than one instance of this, Arias boscas being an early 

 breeder and the Wigeon much later. 



In this article I have been asked ta include the 

 Golden-eye, Velvet Scoter, and Long-tailed Duck. 

 Although these three have not as yet been proved to have 

 bred in these islands, there is some evidence that at least 

 two of the species named may have done so, and there 

 seems no reason why they should not. 



Most of the following remarks are from personal 

 observation, and, with the exception of the three species 

 mentioned above, the nests described have been found 

 by the writer. 



Common Sheld-duck (Tadorna cornuta). — The eggs 

 of this bird could hardly be confused with those of any 

 other British duck except, perhaps, the Goosander. 

 They are creamy white, rather lighter and more glossy 

 than those of the latter. The down is light pearl-grey, 

 and larger than that of the Goosander, while the feathers 

 render a mistake impossible, for they are tipped with black, 

 or occasionally red-brown. There is no doubt that this 

 handsome duck is greatly on the increase. The nests 

 are generally placed in a hole in a sandbank, not far from 

 the sea, but at Wolverton, in Norfolk, I have found them 

 more than two miles from the shore. On this estate the 

 keeper informs me that the female Sheld-duck may often 

 be seen conducting her brood through the village in the 

 early morning, en route for the sea, and they are sometimes 

 noticed marching down the railway line to the same 

 destination. So numerous are they in this carefully 

 protected area, that whilst I was examining a nest 

 twenty-three adult birds were counted in the air at the 

 same time. On June 3rd this nest contained fifteen eggs 



