23G 
ANATII).^:. 
THE SHIELDRAKE. 
T ado rn a vul pa user. 
About the year 1810 an example of this handsomely-coloured 
bird was shot at Balta Sound, in a small pool in a cottage 
garden close to the sea. A second was killed in the A^ery 
same pool about forty years afterwards; and in the spring of 
1872 tlie skin of a third was sent tome from Balta Sound, but 
1 was unable to ascertain precisely at what spot the bird had 
been procured. These three -are the only recorded instances of 
its occurrence in Shetland ; but it is more than probable that 
other instances have been suffered to pass unnoticed. 
It is somewhat strange that, breeding as it does so abundantly 
in Orkney, It should be so A^ery scarce but a feAv miles further 
north, AAdiere, upon many of the islands, it might remain AAdth 
eA^en less chance of disturbance, among the extensAe rabbit 
links in Avhich it delights. Possibly, if a few pairs Avere intro- 
duced and carefully protected, there might not be much 
difficulty in establishmg a colony here and there, piwided the 
birds Avere put down early in the breeding season, after haAung 
been pinioned to preA^ent their escape. 
In his account of this bird. Colonel HaAvker obserA^es : — You 
may keep young Burrough Ducks for liA^e or six Aveeks, prorided 
you giA'e them crumbs of bread, and only a little Avater three 
times a day. But if you let them get into the Avater, or eA^en 
drink too much before they are full grown, and fit to be turned 
out on yoim pond, you are almost sure to kill them. This 
appears quite a paradox with birds that in their wild state are 
always in the Avater. But such is the case.” 
In the above extract the fact has perhaps been oA^erlooked 
that in the Avild state the young, immediately after being 
1 latched, resort to the sea, not to fresh Avater. 
