COMMON SHELDRAKE 221 



latter more commonly on inlets or ponds close to the shore. Naumann (1896-1905) 

 is authority for the statement that the young birds are the first to leave for the 

 south. 



Status. Formerly, no doubt, Sheldrakes were far more abundant on the coasts 

 of western Europe than they are now. In Yarmouth, before 1815, Dresser (1871- 

 81) says they were so abundant that they were supposed to disturb the rabbits, 

 and pains were taken to destroy them. The same writer notes that in Ireland there 

 was a steady decrease in numbers after 1830. The destruction of rabbits on the Cope- 

 land Islands led to the Sheldrakes' leaving them. The lowest ebb was reached in the 

 British Isles about 1890 (Southwell, British Birds, vol. 2, p. 62, 1908), but since then 

 there has been a decided increase both in the British Isles and on the continent. It 

 was increasing and common on Iona and Mull in 1887 (Harvie-Brown and Buckley, 

 1887), and a remarkable increase was noted on Solway Firth (Service, Trans. 

 Edinburgh Field Nat. and Micr. Soc, vol. 5, p. 185, 1905). It is greatly on the in- 

 crease also at Wolverton, Norfolk (Noble, British Birds, vol. 2, p. 19, 1908), and in 

 Dumfries (Gladstone, 1910). In Mecklenburg it is said to be not decreasing (Wuest- 

 nei, 1898), though it has lately been reported decreasing on Sylt (Hagendefeldt, 

 Zeitschr. f. Ornith., vol. 30, p. 121, 1906). Recent literature indicates a tendency to 

 an inland dispersal during the breeding season on the continent, and Service has 

 noted the same fact in Scotland. The gradually increasing population on the coasts 

 has, no doubt, driven the birds to seek more secluded surroundings. It is certainly 

 gratifying to find this, one of the most beautiful of all ducks, holding its own or even 

 increasing at the present day. 



Enemies. Man is the principal enemy of this species, but the Gray Sea-eagles 

 have been mentioned as a menace in former times (Naumann, 1896-1905), though 

 they can hardly be a factor of any importance at present. The domestic cat and the 

 hedgehog, which last had been introduced, are important enemies to the Sheldrakes 

 on the island of Rom (Naumann, 1896-1905). 



In the feathers of the birds are found parasitic insects of the genera Philopterus 

 and Liotheum, while various intestinal worms afflict them. These worms belong to 

 the following species: Sclerostomumtadornce,Heterakisvesicularis, Heterakis dispar, 

 Spiroptera crassicauda, Hystrichis tricolor, Eckinorhynchus polymorphus, Distomum 

 oxyurum, Distomum oxycephalum, Distomum echinatum, Monostomum attenuatum, 

 Holostomum erraticum, Notocotyle triserialis, Taenia anatis tadorna?, Taenia gracilis 

 and Taenia destituta (Linstow, fide Naumann, 1896-1905). 



Damage. Although Sheldrakes are known to have fed on new-sown grain on one 

 or two of the Friesian Islands, this is apparently an exceptional practice, and would 



