THE STRANGE AND BEAUTIFUL SHELDRAKE 185 



customs rather than of the singularity of its 

 appearance. 



As to its beauty, those who know it in a state 

 of nature, in its haunts on the sea coast, will 

 agree that it is one of the handsomest of our 

 large wild birds. It cannot now be said that it 

 is common, except in a few favoured localities. 

 On the south coast it is all but extinct as a breed- 

 ing species, and on the east side of England it is 

 becoming increasingly rare, even in spots so well 

 suited to it as Holy Island, and the coast at 

 Bamborough Castle, with its great sand-hills. 

 These same hiUs that look on the sea, and are 

 greener than ivy with the everlasting green of 

 the rough marram grass that covers them, would 

 be a very paradise to the sheldrake, but for man 

 — vile man ! — who watches him through a spy- 

 glass in the breeding season to rob him of his 

 eggs. The persecuted bird has grown exceedingly 

 shy and cautious, but go he must to his burrow 

 in the dunes, and the patient watcher sees him 

 at a great distance on account of his conspicuous 

 white plumage, and marks the spot, then takes 

 his spade to dig down to the hidden eggs. 



On the Somerset coast the bird is not so 



