THE SHOVELLER, ANAS CLYPEATA. 



ALLAN BROOKS. 



Naturalists generally class the shoveller 

 duck in a genus of its own (Spatula) on ac- 

 count of its enormous bill; but this is the 

 only character that separates it from ducks 

 of the genus Anas, and in markings of the 

 wing, color of iris and its voice, it is clearly 

 closely related to the cinnamon teal, just 

 as the pintail is to the green wing teal. 



A male shoveller, were it not for his 

 clumsy bill, would be one of the hand- 

 somest of ducks; but it is rather hard to 



one winters in Southwestern British Co- 

 lumbia. 



It decoys readily and is generally very 

 tame compared with other ducks, especially 

 early in the fall. 



On alighting in the water it does not 

 make the splash that most ducks do, but 

 alights quietly, without plowing up the 

 water. Its habit of feeding, sifting the mud 

 through the curious lamella; on the sides of 

 its bill, is well known, and for this reason 







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SHOVELLER DUCK. 



get them in really perfect plumage. They 

 do not seem to acquire it until much later in 

 the season than other ducks get it, and I 

 have never seen a full plumaged drake in 

 the fall. 



Like the mallard, gad wall, and pintail the 

 shoveller is a duck of very wide distribu- 

 tion, being found over the greater part of 

 the old world, as well as the entire North 

 American continent. It is a rather late ar- 

 rival in the spring, though an occasional 



it prefers muddy, to grassy swamps, though 

 equally at home in both. It is a fairly rapid 

 flier and can keep up with widgeon and 

 teal in ordinary flight, though when these 

 latter put on a spurt they leave it behind. 



In Europe the flesh of the shoveller is 

 generally regarded as rather rank; but in 

 America it is esteemed one of the best o\ 

 ducks for the table, though it is seldom fat. 



The iris of the male is bright yellow, and 

 of the female yellowish brown. 



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