Class II. SHIELDRAKE. 257 



next are a fine green, and those of the three 

 succeeding orange ; the coverts of the tail are 

 white ; the tail itself of the same color, and ex- 

 cept the two outmost feathers tipt with black ; 

 the belly white, divided lengthways by a black 

 line; the legs of a pale flesh color. 



These birds inhabit the sea coasts, and breed 

 in rabbet holes. When a person attempts to 

 take their young, the old birds shew great ad- 

 dress in diverting his attention from the brood ; 

 they will fly along the ground as if wounded, 

 till the former are got into a place of security, 

 and then return and collect them together. 

 From this instinctive cunning, Turner, with 

 good reason, imagines them to be the chena- 

 lopex* ox fox-goose of the antients : the natives 

 of the Orknies to this day call them the sly goose, 

 from an attribute of that quadruped. They lay 

 fifteen or sixteen eggs, white, and of a roundish 

 shape. In winter they collect in great flocks. 

 Their flesh is very rank and bad. 



* Plinii, Lib. x. c. 22. 



VOL, II. 



