Duck-shooting 105 



evidence of two Greenland specimens. One of 

 these birds was found by Dr. Vanhoffen, while 

 naturalist of the expedition sent to West Green- 

 land in 1892 by the Geographical Society of 

 Berlin, in a small collection of birds' skins made 

 that year in the district of Upernavik, and the 

 fact that several were taken that year in Iceland 

 increases the probability that this specimen was 

 collected in Greenland. 



In many of its habits more like a goose than a 

 duck, the ruddy sheldrake associates with geese, 

 and has a call note that is gooselike in quality. 

 It is a shy bird, feeding in the ponds and marshes 

 at night, and spending the day on open plains 

 where it can guard against danger. It breeds 

 very early, seeking retired islands in lakes in Asia 

 Minor. There it lays in holes among the rocks 

 or sometimes in a burrow in the ground. 



SHOVELLER 

 {Spatula dypeata) 



Adult male — Head and neck, dark metallic green; dusky line on 

 ■hind neck from head to back ; upper part of back, breast, and 

 anterior scapulars, white ; rump, and upper and under tail-coverts, 

 black glossed with green ; wing-coverts, pale blue ; speculum, 

 metallic green ; tail, brown edged with white, a white patch on 

 each side of base of tail ; entire under parts, deep chestnut ; bill, 

 black ; iris, yellow ; legs and feet, orange-red. 



Measurements — Length, 19 inches ; wing, 9.50 inches ; oilmen, 2.80 

 inches; tarsus, 1.40 inches. 



Adult female — Head, neck, and sides, buff, streaked with dusky ; 

 chin and throat, buff; speculum, green ; back, brown, edged with 



