222 TADORNA TADORNA 



hardly justify one in accusing them of serious damage. Their destruction of edible 

 shell-fish has not been estimated, but it probably could never be serious. 



Food Value. The flesh is very rank, and the bird is unfit for the table, even 

 when skinned. I find but one writer who considered the bird edible, and it is prob- 

 able that his taste was not very discriminating. There are, indeed, people who pre- 

 fer Mergansers to other ducks, but these "otherwise-minded" folks are best left out 

 of account. The eggs of the Sheldrake have a rank taste, not suited to every 

 palate, though apparently held in high esteem by the inhabitants of the Friesian 

 Islands. 



Hunt. These birds are seldom shot for their flesh, and fortunately they are 

 wary enough to be well able to take care of themselves. English puntsmen, it is 

 true, occasionally take a shot at them, but hold them in ill-favor because when 

 among Widgeon they are sure to give the alarm and spoil a good shot (Millais, 

 1901). Sometimes they are taken by placing nets over their burrows, but fortunately 

 this practice is not common. They are but rarely taken on the fresh-water decoys 

 of western Europe, where ducks are led into pipe-nets by tame flocks. A. Chapman 

 and Buck (1910) were told that in the marismas of southern Spain they are easy 

 victims for any sort of imitation, provided it be white. A local fowler said he had 

 killed many by using the dry bones and skulls of cattle in place of decoy ducks. 



Behavior in Captivity. Sheldrakes are very commonly kept on ornamental 

 ponds in Europe, but are almost never seen in America, as they are unable to stand 

 the ocean voyage. The only pair that I ever had lived only two or three months. 

 This is very unfortunate, for no bird is more striking or beautiful, and it has the 

 advantage of retaining its gorgeous plumage throughout the summer. It was often 

 kept in the parks of French gentlemen in the early part of the sixteenth century 

 (Loisel, Hist, des Menageries, 1912). In India it is said not to bear captivity well 

 (Finn, 1909). In European markets the birds are easily obtainable, being raised 

 chiefly from eggs taken in the wild. The price before the War was only 18 to 25 shil- 

 lings per pair. 



In confinement they will not thrive unless some animal food is supplied, and they 

 do best if given an opportunity to obtain insects for themselves. Lacking these they 

 should be given fish or meat scraps with their grain. If too closely confined, or if 

 fed exclusively on barley, they develop an eye-disease which is at first an abscess of 

 the cornea, and finally extends to the antrum. Other water-fowl also contract this 

 disease, but are not nearly so susceptible as the Sheldrakes, which have been known 

 to die in eight days (Liebrecht, Zool. Garten, vol. 43, p. 62, 1902). Under favorable 

 conditions, however, the birds will live for many years. In 1883 the London Gar- 



