their wings, there are few county bird-lists in which 

 the Sheld-Drake does not appear. 



The food of this species consists principally, if not 

 entirely, of the small animals which are to be found in 

 abundance on the sand and sea-mud ; to wit — lugworms, 

 sand-hoppers, and mollusks of all sorts ; certain sea- 

 weeds are also said to possess attractions for our bird. 

 In captivity these birds are easily kept upon ordinary 

 " Duck's food," but are exceedingly fond of chopped 

 meat, and devour great numbers of earth-worms. 

 Although extremely ornamental, the Sheld-Drake is not 

 a desirable bird amongst other waterfowl, as he is a bully 

 and a tyrant, and totally worthless from a culinary point 

 of view. We have reared several of this species at 

 Lilford ; the young are about the prettiest of " fowl " 

 in the pied down of infancy, and are by no means 

 difficult to keep alive if not allowed access to water, 

 except for drinking, during the first few months of 

 their existence. 



The only note that I have ever heard produced by 

 my birds of this species was a short hiss, when bullying 

 some other bird, or fighting amongst themselves ; but 

 I have heard occasionally on the coast of N. Wales at 

 night a somewhat Wigeon-like whistle that emanated, as 

 I believe, from the " Sand-Geese " on wing. I have 

 met with a few of these birds on the lower Guadalquivir, 

 and have good reason to believe that they breed in that 

 locality. During the comparatively severe winter of 

 1857-58 a good many Sheld-Ducks frequented the 

 shores of Epirus and Acarnania, and I have met with 

 the species sparingly in various other parts of the 

 Mediterranean. 



