OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 395 



approached merely waddles into the water and swims out from 



shore, seldom rising until fired at, and then if missed usually 



returning after a circle or two in the air. The Shoveller is not very 



gregarious, and even when a flock is congregated on some certain 



favoured pool the birds are usually scattered about in pairs or in 



very small groups. This Duck almost constantly keeps to shallow 



water close inshore, only swimming further out when alarmed, 



and may usually be seen dabbling about in the mud, or with 



head and neck under the surface seeking for food. The pecuhar 



habit of a pair of birds feeding whilst swimming round in circles 



with their heads in the centre is graphically described from 



personal observation by Professor Newton. Sometimes they 



may be seen standing on the bank preening their plumage, or 



dozing with their head twisted round and nearly buried in the 



dorsal plumage. This species walks in the usual waddling 



manner, but the body is carried rather erect, and sometimes the 



bird runs rather quickly. It swims fairly well, but rarely dives, 



and only when wounded. From the nature of the locality in 



which most of its food is obtained, the very shallow water, the 



Shoveller rarely turns upside down to feed ; it has no need 



to do so. The Shoveller very often associates with other Ducks, 



but owing to its partiality for small muddy pools it is most 



frequently seen by itself. The flight of this species when once 



the bird is fairly launched is rapid and powerful, but it rises 



heavily and slowly from the water. The food of the Shoveller 



consists of grass, grain, shoots, buds, leaves, and roots of aquatic 



herbage, insects of all kinds and their larvse, mollusks, frogs, 



small fish, in fact anything and everything edible. As Hume 



justly remarks, in some localities it would be diflScult to say 



what this bird will not eat. Much of its food is obtained in the 



shallow water as it moves its broad spatulated bill from side 



to side, sifting every likely and unlikely bit of mud. It is both a 



day and night feeder, but obtains most of its food after dusk, 



leaving in many cases the haunts it has frequented during the 



day and flying for some considerable distance to places where its 



staple fare is abundant. The call-note of the Shoveller is a harsh 



a lower guttural note is uttered during flight. It is 



