Family ANATID^. Genus Tadorna. 



Subfamily Anatin/e. 



COMMON SHELDRAKE. 



TADORNA CORNUTA— (i-. G. Gmelin). 



Geographical Distribution. — British: Resident and widely 

 dispersed throughout the British Islands. Breeds in all suitable 

 places on the east and west coasts of England, but is very much 

 more local in the south during the breeding season. Breeds in 

 many localities on the east of Scotland, notably in the Forth, and 

 the same remarks apply to the west, including the Hebrides. 

 Breeds sparingly and locally round the Irish coasts, but is most 

 abundant during winter, as it also is on the eastern coast line of 

 Great Britain. Foreign : North-western and southern Patearctic 

 region ; northern Oriental region in winter. Breeds throughout 

 Europe in all suitable localities, but in the basin of the Mediter- 

 ranean, where it nests sparingly on both shores, it is best known 

 as a winter visitor, whilst in the north it does not extend beyond 

 lat. 69" in Norway, lat. 60° in the Baltic, and lat. 56° in the 

 Urals. In Asia it does not appear to breed north of lat. 52° in 

 the west, and the valley of the Amoor in the east. The birds 

 breeding in the northern portions of this range, including 

 Turkestan and Mongolia, are migratory, but in the basin of the 

 Black and Caspian Seas they are resident, as they also appear to 

 be in Japan. To the coasts of China, and to India, as far south 

 as the Tropic of Cancer, it is a winter visitor. A single example 

 has been recorded from the Faroes. 



Allied Forms. — None of sufficient propinquity to call for 

 notice. 



Time during which the Common Sheldrake may be 



taken. — August I St to March ist. 



