20 BRITISH BIRDS. 



about a quarter incubated, and underneath were many 

 old egg-shells, showing that the hole had been occupied 

 the previous season. In confinement 1 have known the 

 " Burrow Duck " to nest in a hole in a tree. (PI. I., Fig. 1.) 



Mallard (Anas hoscas). — Though this species is usually 

 an early breeder, nests may be found throughout the spring 

 and summer months, from March, or even Februar}^, 

 until Avell on into June. The eggs of this bird vary more 

 than those of any other British duck, from greenish-blue 

 tliey range through yellowish-cream colour to white. 

 The down is large, brown in colour, with light centres, 

 the points hardly lighter than the rest. The down might 

 be confused with that of the Pintail, although the latter 

 is smaller. The flank feathers found amongst the down 

 are, however, larger, more pointed, and very different in 

 pattern, as will be seen by reference to figures 2 (Mallard) 

 and figures 7 (Pintail) in Plate I. 



Gad WALL [A. strepera). — This bird is now well estab- 

 lished in certain parts of Norfolk and Suffolk. In the 

 Thetford district it is one of the commonest ducks in 

 winter, and a certain number remain to breed. The nests 

 I have seen in the Eastern Counties and in Spain have 

 never been far from water ; one v/as in a wood close to a 

 river, and another in a reed-bed at the edge of a large 

 lagoon. The eggs are huffish- white, with no tinge of 

 green ; the down is very dark, with small light centres, 

 and with distinct grey points. The feathers are small, 

 light in colour, with irregular darker markings in the 

 centre, but lighter towards the tips. It would be difficult 

 to confuse them with those of any other duck. (PI. I., 

 Fig. 3.) 



Shoveler (Spatula clypeata). — This duck is probably 

 far more common than is generally supposed, owing to 

 the fact that numbers leave their breeding haunts after 

 the young are able to fly. In some counties where they 

 breed regularly I have never seen one in the shooting 

 season. The nest is often placed on dry ground, some 

 little distance from water, and they seem to show 



