SAND DUNES AND SALT MARSHES 



pence, of a Teale three pence. If I should 

 tell you how some have killed a hundred 

 Geese in a weeke, 50. Duckes at a shot, 40. 

 Teales at another, it may be counted impos- 

 sible, though nothing more certaine." The 

 red-breasted merganser or sheldrake is still 

 common enough in winter, and I have already 

 described at some length this interesting bird. 

 The whistler or golden-eye and the black duck 

 are the only others sufficiently common to be 

 included here. The whistler comes from the 

 north early in October and remains with us 

 until the last of April. The drake is a hand- 

 some bird, with its iridescent green head, a 

 round white spot below its golden eye and its 

 snowy breast and flanks. The duck is con- 

 siderably smaller and has a dull brown head. 

 They are shy birds and are always on the 

 lookout for danger, and like the " fearefuU 

 Gull " are quick to " shunne the murthering 

 Peece. ' ' As they fly by or overhead they make 

 loud whistling music with their wings, and 

 it is from this that they get their common 

 name. 



Their courtship is still more spectacular 

 than that of the sheldrake and would take 

 long to tell. Suffice it to say that the drake 



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