^.A^ NEIGHBOURHOOD. 177 



only one of his species) upon the park-pond, nested, 

 laid eggs, and hatched out a brood of five young, 

 which latter I saw with her there to-day." This is 

 the only instance that has come to my knowledge of 

 the breeding of a wild Shoveller in Northampton- 

 shire, but from the date of some of the occurrences 

 above quoted, I cannot suppose that it is a solitary 

 case. This bird is very common on the marshes 

 of the Guadalquivir in winter and early spring, at 

 which season I have also met with it in all the 

 Mediterranean countries that I have visited, and I 

 was formerly acquainted with a certain district in 

 Ireland where it was common in winter, and a few 

 pairs were said to breed ; this latter statement is 

 now a well ascertained fact, and the Shoveller breeds 

 regularly in many other parts of Ireland and Great 

 Britain. In favourite haunts and some of its habits 

 this species resembles the Gad wall, but it is a much 

 more silent bird ; in fact, except in the spring-time, I 

 have seldom heard any note uttered by the Shoveller ; 

 at that season the drakes have a low croak, to a 

 certain degree resembling that of the Mallard. This 

 bird travels at very great speed, and, unless alarmed, 

 seldom at any very great height ; it consorts freely 

 with other wild-fowl during the day, but at the 

 ' flighting-hour ' arrives in small parties or in couples, 

 often singly. When flying alone and unalarmed, the 

 Shoveller may be observed to turn its head constantly 

 as if looking for an acquaintance or some other 

 special object ; this habit is also common with the 

 Pintail, and very probably more or less so with other 

 Ducks, but from the curious shape of the bill is 

 peculiarly noticeable in the present species. The 

 nest of the Shoveller is placed in the same sort of 



VOL. II. N 



