14S cassell's book of birds. 



excreta from both. After watching the birds, however, for some days, it was discovered that, with 

 the view of deceiving the men, they had only made a pretence of having their nest in the hole above 

 mentioned, and that their real residence was another much larger excavation, in the joint occupation 

 of a bitch-fox and a badger. This second hole being carefully watched, it was seen that the badger 

 was in the habit of walking in and out of his abode, which was subsequently found to be ten feet deep, 

 without troubling himself at all about his feathered visitors, whose footmarks were traceable to a depth 

 of seven feet. There were, however, other holes belonging to the same den, through which the fox 

 was also in the habit of passing. The ground before these entrances was trampled smooth by the feet 

 of the Ducks, and as clearly impressed with the footmarks of the fox. On perceiving this, 

 Gromelbein concealed himself behind a wall in such a manner as to be able to watch all their 

 proceedings, nor had he long to wait before he saw the sly Sheldrakes paying their accustomed visit 

 to the labourers and the sand-hill above mentioned ; after which, flying close to the ground, they came 

 to the real nesting-place, when, after carefully looking around them, they walked into the fox-hole as 

 quietly and unconsciously as Ducks in a farmyard would go to their roosting-place. There they 

 remained about half an hour, when they again made their appearance, climbed hastily to the top 

 of the hill beneath which the den was situated, and finding, as they thought, the coast clear, flew 

 off to the meadows. 



In the Island of Sylt and others off the coast of Schleswig, the inhabitants construct artificial 

 burrows, covered with movable lids, near which at the proper season they place quantities of 

 broom and moss, so that the coming birds may find everything ready. These consequently take up 

 their abode in the prepared burrows without the slightest scruple, and that sometimes quite close to 

 the houses of their owners ; nay, they at length become so familiarised with their keepers that they 

 may be said to be in a state of semi-domestication. In these burrows the females, if not disturbed, 

 will lay from seven to twelve large, smooth, white, thin-shelled eggs ; but if the eggs are gradually 

 taken from the nest, as they are at Sylt, the females will go on laying till they have laid twenty 

 or thirty. When the mother bird begins to sit, she carefully surrounds her eggs with down, and when 

 she leaves her nest covers them with the same warm material. After the lapse of about twenty-six 

 days, the young make their appearance, and soon follow their mother to the neighbouring moors, 

 generally stopping, however, to have a swim in a pond of fresh water that is found on the road thither. 

 To the inhabitants of Sylt and other islands in the North Sea, it appears, therefore, that the 

 Sheldrakes are objects of considerable attention. The eggs serve as important additions to their 

 table ; and the down from their nests, scarcely inferior to that of the Eider, is extremely valuable. 

 The flesh of these birds is not much esteemed, having a rancid or oily taste and a disagreeable 

 smell ; they are therefore never killed, but, on the contrary, are protected by the inhabitants of the 

 islands they frequent. 



The TREE DUCKS (Dendrocygnd) form a group having a high slender body, moderately long 

 neck, delicately-shaped head, and weak bill ; the legs are long, the wings blunt, with the third and 

 fourth quills longer than the rest ; the tail is rounded at its extremity, and the plumage variegated. 



THE WIDOW DUCK. 

 The Widow Duck (Dendrocygna viduata) has the face and throat white, shaded with reddish 

 brown on the brow and cheeks ; the back of head, nape, and sides of the neck are bright reddish 

 brown ; the sides of the breast and the back reddish olive, darkly spotted and marked ; the long lower 

 shoulder-feathers are olive-brown edged with yellowish white ; the lower back, centre of tail, and 

 entire under side below the breast are black ; the sides of the body are greyish white, striped with 



