again and again. Imme- 

 diately upon settling after 

 a scare, the birds by scores 

 and dozens will rise and 

 stand upon their tails and 

 flutter their wings, as though 

 to reassure themselves of 

 safety. A curious muffled 

 roar is produced by the sum 

 of these operations, and when 

 the birds are numerous, this 

 sound is sustained for some time 

 with remarkable uniformity. A 

 "mill" observed here one evening 

 must have numbered upwards of 

 500 birds in one solid mass, and 

 there were other lesser operations 

 in progress at the same time. 



For some unknown reason 



Shovellers seldom become very fat, 



as do most other ducks, and on this 



account they are not very much 



sought after by sportsmen. Their 



most striking characteristic from the 



hunter's standpoint is curiosity — this 



and artless innocence. If there is 



anything unusual going on in the 



swamp, the Shoveller wants to see. 



It is, therefore, the easiest of birds 



to decoy. Once when Mr. Bowles's 



dog was retrieving a duck in open 



water, a drake Shoveller came flying 



up, noted something interesting, and 



settled promptly within a foot of dog and bird. However, if frightened, 



or on a flyway, it requires a good shot to bring a Shoveller to bag, as it 



is almost as swift a- wing as any of the Teals. 



The plumage of this duck is very handsome, and some of its feathers 

 are of special interest to the bird-student. Thus the markings of the 

 drake combine in a striking degree the essential characters of both the 

 Mallard and the Blue-winged Teal. Its head is of iridescent green, its 

 lower parts are chestnut, and its feet red — all characteristic of the male 

 Mallard — while its wing is practically an enlarged edition of the drake 



1782 



Taken in San Fran 



Photo by the Author 



THE LOOK-AT-ME POSE 



MALE SPOONBILL ON STOW LAKE 



