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ORD. III. GEN. XI. DUCK. 



SPE. V. SHIELDRAKE. 



PI. 249. 



Anas tadorna. Lin. Syji. I. p. 195. 

 La Tadorne. Brif. Orn. VI. p. 344. 



The male of this beautiful fpecies weighs near three pounds. The neck is 

 long and (lender : the back is of a red orange colour, with a red knob at the 

 bafe: the head, and part of the neck, are of a gloffy dark green: lower part 

 of the neck, white : bread, and upper part of the back, of a bright chefnut 

 colour : middle of the back, and rump, white : moulder of the wing, black : 

 lefs wing coverts, white : the firft three feathers of the greater coverts, bright 

 chefnut colour; outer webs of the next, of a fine black : the greater quill fea- 

 thers, black : the exterior webs of the next of a fine changeable green : the 

 belly, white, divided lengthways by a broad black line : tail, white, tipped 

 with black : legs, orange. 



The female is very like the male in markings, but paler in colour, and 

 much fmaller. 



This fpecies is very common on the feacoaft of Britain, and other parts 

 of Europe. It fometimes forms its neft in rabbit- burrows, and I have feen 

 one at the bottom of a hollow tree, a quarter of a mile from the fea. It builds 

 in a very artful manner, and lays fourteen eggs, which it carefully covers, when 

 it leaves the neft. It carries its young in its bill from the neft to the falt- 

 water creeks, there to ftielter them, till they have attained ftrength to provide 

 for themfelves. For the egg fee PI. LVI. 





