422 



Natatores.- 



-BinDS.- 



-AXATID.E. 



ivliite plumage, and elegant form, the surfaces of 

 our lal'os, rivers, and ornamental waters. It is the 

 only species that permanently resides in tliis country, 

 where, however, it is generally met with in a half- 

 domesticated condition. This bird has the extreme 

 tip of the upper mandible and its edges, and a patch 

 at the base of the bill extending to the eye, and 

 occupying a large tubercle in front of the forehead, 

 lilack ; the rest of the bill is orange-yellow. During 

 the breeding season the swans live in pairs, each pair 

 keeping to its own part of the water, and at this time 

 tlie male becomes exceedingly fierce, attacking any 

 animal that intrudes upon his domains. The nest is 

 formed of a mass of reeds, rushes, and other plants, 

 and is placed close to the edge of the water, or 

 amongst the plants growuig upon some small bank 

 which is hardly above the surface. The eggs are six 

 or seven in number. When hatched the young birds 

 accompany their parents into the water, and occasion- 

 ally the mother will even take her family upon her 

 back and swim along with them, apparently with the 

 view of relieving them from the necessity of making 

 way against the stream. The whole family remains 

 together throughout the winter, and in the summer 

 or autumn the owners of the swans put a particular 

 mark upon the bills of the young liirds, produced b}' 

 those belonging to them. Many of these marks are 

 very curious; representations of a considerable num- 

 ber, with interesting historical details, will be found 

 in Mr. Yarrcll's "History of British Birds." 



THE BLACK SWAB {C'l/gnusalnUiis).— Amongst the 

 species of Swans none is more remarkable than the 

 Black Swan, from the complete exception which it 

 makes to the ordinarily white colour of these birds. 

 This species, which is an inhabitant of various parts 

 of New Holland, and has even given its name to the 

 colony of Swan River in Western Australia, is of a 

 black colour, with the exception of the wing-quills, 

 which are white, and the lower part of the belly, which 

 is of au ash colour. The bill is orange red, and the 

 feet are brownish. The Black Swan is nearly as large 

 as the common species, but appears to be rather inferior 

 to it in strength. 



THE WILD DUCK (Aims Boschas), of which the male 

 is known as tlie Mallard, is an abundant species in this 

 countrj', and was formerly much more numerous here, 

 betbre the feus and marshes were so generally drained. 

 A few pairs remain here through the summer ; but the 

 majority resort to high northern latitudes to breed, and 

 visit us in large flocks at the approach of winter. The 

 Wild Duck frequents marshy places and the borders of 

 rivers and lakes, where it finds an abundant supply of 

 nourisliment in the form of worms, insects, and mol- 

 lusca, except in very severe winters, when it is forced 

 to resort to estuaries in search of food and open water. 

 In a wild state it always pairs ; but the domestic ducks, 

 which are derived from this species, are polygamous 

 in their habits. 



As the flesh of the Wild Duck is exceedingly good, 

 it is captured in great quantities during the winter 

 season, sometimes by means of the gim, and sometimes 

 by peculiar traps known as decoys. These consist of 

 long-curved canals, leading out of a piece of water 



much frequented by water-fowl, and covered with nets 

 supported upon hoops. -The birds are enticed or 

 driven into these canals by means of decoy ducks, 

 trained to come to a whistle, and assisted by equally 

 well-trained spaniels. The fowlers are concealed by 

 means of reed-screens, so disposed that they may be 

 seen by the birds which have advanced beyond them 

 into the decoy, and which are thus caused to give up 

 all thoughts of retreat; they consequently push forward 

 to avoid the dog and his master, until they reach the 

 termination of the canal, which gradually grows nar- 

 rower, and ends in what is called a tunnel net capable 

 of being detached from the main net of the decoy as 

 soon as it is filled with birds. These are then taken 

 out and killed by tlie fowlers. 



THE SHIELDEAKE ( Tadorna ViiJpanser) is a well- 

 known species on the British coasts, where it resides 

 throughout the year, but is most abundant in the winter. 

 It is an exceedingly handsome bird, having the head 

 and upper part of the neck deep green, the lower part 

 of the neck white, and below this a broad annular 

 band of chestnut ; the back and lower surface are wliite, 

 the latter with a dark-brown band along the middle ; 

 the scapulars and part of the tertials are black, and 

 the primaries dark brown. The bUl is of a vermilion 

 colour. The length of the bird is rather inore than 

 two feet. On some parts of our coast the Sliieldrakts 

 regularly breed in the rabbit burrows, whence they 

 are kno\vn as Burrow Ducks. 



THE SHOVELLER {Sjxdula cb/peata), another Bri- 

 tish species, is an inhabitant of the northern parts 

 of both hemispheres, breeding chiefly in the extreme 

 north. It is easily distinguished by the great 

 width of the extremity of the bill, from which its 

 names of Shoveller and Broad-bill are derived ; tho 

 upper mandible is terminated with a rather strongly- 

 hooked nail. This bird inhabits inland marshes, lakes, 

 and rivers, seeking its animal food in the mud and 

 shallow water. It also feeds to a considerable extent 

 upon grass and other vegetable matters. 



THE PINTAIL DUCK {Dafla acuta) resembles the 

 precedmg species in its wide distribution, and is a 

 winter visitor to Britain. The male has the central 

 tail-feathers much elongated and black. In its habits 

 it resembles the shoveller. It is frequently taken with 

 the common wild duck and other allied species in the 

 decoys, and its flesh is in high esteem. 



THE TEAL {Querquedula Crccca) is one of the 

 smallest species of ducks, measuring only fourteen 

 inches in length. It is found all over the noi'thern 

 parts of the Eastern hemisphere, but does not extend 

 its range to America, where its place is taken by 

 another species. In this country it is a winter visitor, 

 although a few pairs remain here to breed. 



THE WIDGEON (Mareca ixnehpe), another well- 

 known British duck, is a winter visitor to our islands. 



THE POCHARD [Atjthya feriiia). — Besides the pre- 

 ceding ducks, which are chiefly mhabitants of the fresh 

 waters, there is a considerable number of nearly-allied 

 species, which haunt the sea-shore, and may be regarded 

 as marine ducks. Of these the Pochard, which is one 

 of the best known, is found both inland and on tho 

 coast. The Pochard measures nearly twenty inches in 



