﻿SHOVELLER. 81 



on the wing it might almost be called careless, inasmuch as it 

 does not avoid trees, bushes, or even walls and human habita- 

 tions, but continues its course without deviation. "We can speak 

 from experience on this subject, having fired twice at one of 

 this species when at a long distance, and still it flew straight 

 towards a sportsman within sight, and became finally his 

 prey ; its flight is buoyant and well sustained, but it is not 

 quick ; its walk is tolerably easy, but not much put in prac- 

 tice, as swimming is more in accordance with its nature and 

 habits. 



The Shoveller breeds on the borders of rivers and lakes, or 

 the central parts of marshes ; the nest is placed among the 

 grasses and weeds like that of other ducks ; the eggs are 

 generally from seven to ten or twelve in number, which are 

 hatched in three weeks ; the young leave the nest as soon as 

 they are dry, and follow the parent bird on the water. 



The measurements of the Shoveller, taken from an adult 

 male are as follows : — entire length twenty inches, the beak, 

 two inches eight lines ; the tarsus one inch five lines ; the 

 wing, from the carpus to the tip, nine inches. 



The adult male is feathered as follows, the head and upper 

 part of the neck are black with green and purple reflections ; 

 the lower part of the neck, breast, and scapulars are white ; 

 the belly, vent, and flanks brownish red ; the back and 

 primaries dusky brown ; the lesser wing-coverts are pale cobalt 

 blue ; the greater wing-coverts are tipped with white, forming 

 thereby a white bar across the wing ; the speculum is very rich, 

 bright green ; the rump and the upper and under tail-coverts 

 are brown, glossed with dark blackish bronze ; the sides of 

 the rump are white, the tail is dusky brown, edged with 

 white, the outer feather entirely white ; the beak is black, 

 the legs yellowish orange, darkest on the webs ; the eyes 

 vellow. 



