﻿BIEDS. 
  

  

  145 
  

  

  not 
  allow 
  a 
  near 
  approach, 
  and 
  in 
  rising 
  from 
  the 
  water 
  they 
  

   winged 
  their 
  way 
  northward. 
  

  

  Genus 
  TADORNA, 
  Fleming. 
  

  

  Tadorna 
  cornuta, 
  Gmelin. 
  Common 
  Sheldrake. 
  

   "Annet." 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  a 
  regular 
  visitor, 
  remaining 
  to 
  breed 
  with 
  us, 
  

   which 
  it 
  does 
  on 
  the 
  sandy 
  links 
  that 
  abound 
  along 
  the 
  

   coast 
  between 
  the 
  river 
  Don 
  and 
  the 
  bay 
  of 
  Collieston, 
  

   their 
  chief 
  station 
  being 
  the 
  links 
  of 
  Forvie. 
  This 
  is 
  a 
  

   desolate 
  tract 
  of 
  many 
  hundred 
  acres 
  in 
  extent, 
  in 
  many 
  

   places 
  covered 
  with 
  sand 
  without 
  a 
  blade 
  of 
  vegetation 
  ; 
  

   the 
  sand 
  is 
  blown 
  into 
  high 
  circular 
  hummocks, 
  subject 
  to 
  

   be 
  shifted 
  at 
  every 
  change 
  of 
  wind. 
  At 
  other 
  points, 
  these 
  

   sand 
  dunes 
  are 
  covered 
  with 
  bent, 
  whin, 
  and 
  heath, 
  and 
  again 
  

   the 
  ground 
  widens 
  out 
  into 
  flat 
  marshy 
  patches 
  of 
  consider- 
  

   able 
  extent. 
  In 
  the 
  heath-covered 
  dunes, 
  rabbits 
  make 
  their 
  

   burrows 
  ; 
  and 
  in 
  such 
  of 
  those 
  as 
  are 
  disused 
  by 
  the 
  conies, 
  

   the 
  Sheldrakes 
  make 
  their 
  nests, 
  which 
  are 
  wholly 
  composed 
  

   of 
  down 
  plucked 
  from 
  their 
  own 
  bodies. 
  These 
  nests 
  are 
  

   found 
  to 
  be 
  placed 
  in 
  the 
  burrows 
  some 
  ten 
  feet 
  from 
  the 
  

   entrance, 
  but 
  never 
  at 
  the 
  extreme 
  end. 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  infant 
  day 
  has 
  just 
  awakened, 
  and 
  the 
  sun 
  has 
  

   not 
  yet 
  shown 
  his 
  form 
  in 
  the 
  glowing 
  east, 
  no 
  more 
  pleasant 
  

   or 
  beautiful 
  sight 
  can 
  be 
  wished 
  for 
  when 
  one 
  wanders 
  

   through 
  this 
  solitary 
  region, 
  than 
  to 
  see 
  these 
  birds 
  wing 
  

   their 
  bold 
  flight 
  in 
  flocks 
  of 
  a 
  score 
  or 
  more 
  as 
  they 
  come 
  

   from 
  the 
  muddy 
  shores 
  of 
  the 
  adjacent 
  Ythan 
  where 
  they 
  

   have 
  been 
  feeding, 
  and 
  break 
  off 
  in 
  pairs 
  to 
  their 
  various 
  

   nesting 
  -places. 
  Under 
  such 
  circumstances, 
  should 
  their 
  

   suspicions 
  be 
  aroused, 
  they 
  keep 
  in 
  flocks 
  and 
  wheel 
  in 
  wide 
  

   circles 
  for 
  a 
  time, 
  and 
  then 
  alight 
  ; 
  after 
  which 
  they 
  will 
  

   walk 
  in 
  sedate 
  and 
  stately 
  step 
  towards 
  their 
  nests 
  in 
  hopes 
  

   of 
  reaching 
  them 
  without 
  being 
  observed. 
  Should 
  they 
  fail 
  

   in 
  this, 
  they 
  again 
  unite 
  in 
  bands 
  and 
  fly 
  many 
  miles 
  away, 
  

   returning 
  to 
  alight 
  on 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  marshy 
  ground 
  where 
  they 
  

   can 
  watch 
  the 
  enemy 
  without 
  his 
  having 
  the 
  chance 
  of 
  

   coming 
  within 
  gunshot. 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  young 
  are 
  hatched, 
  they 
  are 
  guided 
  to 
  the 
  river 
  

  

  