458 



SHELDRAKE. 



lays two or three white eggs of a long oval shape; their weight about 

 an ounce and three quarters. We have counted no less than thirty of 

 these nests on a small rock a little detached from the shore, from 

 which place we took some eggs and young birds. 



These birds, by reason of their weight in proportion to their feathers, 

 swim deep in the water, shewing only their head, neck, and back ; are 

 expert divers, and devour a prodigious quantity of fish. 



Linnaeus seems to suspect this bird may prove to be the young of the 

 cormorant ; but the reverse is now proved beyond doubt. Mr. Pennant 

 mentions what we consider as a variety with a crest on the back of the 

 head two inches long ; in every other respect it exactly corresponds 

 with the above description of the male bird. 



SHEARWATER. — A name for the Puffin. 



SHELL APPLE.— A name for the Crossbill. 



SHELDRAKE (Tadorna Vulpanser, Ray.) 



Anas Tadorna, Gmel. Syst. 2. p. 506 Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. p. 854. 56.— Tadorna 



Bellonii, Vulpanser quibusdam, Will. p. 278 — Flem. Br. Anim. p. 122 Tu« 



dome, Buff. Ois. 9. p. 205. 14. — Canard Tudorne, Temm. Man. d'Orn. 2. p. 



833 Shieldrake, Venn. Br. Zool.2. p. 278-— Mont. Orn. Diet Don. Br. Birds, 



t. 71 Haye's, Br. Birds, t. 28 Lewin's Br. Birds, 7. p. 248.— Lath. Syn. 6. 



p. 504. 51 Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. p. 341 Linn. Trans. 4. 117. 15. (Trachea.) 



Provincial. — Bargander. St. George's Duck. Burrow Duck. 

 Pirennet. Sly Goose. Skeel Duck. Skeeling Goose. 



This elegant species weighs about two pounds and a half or rather 

 more ; length two feet three inches ; the bill is red and turns upwards, 

 furnished with a small knob at the base ; the nail at the tip black, 

 irides dusky ; the head and part of the neck greenish-black ; the rest of 

 the neck, back, rump, and upper tail coverts, white ; on the breast is a 

 broad band of a bay-colour, growing narrower as it passes backwards 

 under the wings, and encloses the lower part of the neck behind ; 

 through the middle of this band on the breast runs a black list, which 

 spreads very broad at and near the vent ; the scapulars black ; coverts 

 of the wings white, except some of the outer ones, which are black ; 

 the greater quills black ; the four next the body bay on their exterior 

 webs ; the ten next glossy-green, tinged with copper, forming a specu- 

 lum on the wing ; the under coverts of the tail ferruginous ; the tail 

 consists of fourteen white feathers, tipped with black ; legs reddish 

 flesh-colour. Both sexes are nearly alike. 



The Sheldrake is not uncommon on many parts of our coast, and 

 remains with us all the year. The female makes choice of a rabbit- 

 burrow to deposit her eggs in, which are numerous, sometimes as many 



