FANCY WATERFOWL. 
Luff lacing, anil a white belly ; there is no bar on the 
wing, but the small blue bill easily distinguishes her 
from other brown ducks. 
The drake in undress bears a general resemblance to 
her, but bis prevailing colour is rich reddish-cinnamon, 
and he retains the bright wing-bar and white shoulders, 
or changes the latter to French grey; he is thus still 
easily recognisable, and a sufficiently handsome bird. 
Young of both sexes resemble the duck, but the drakes 
show the green wing-bar. 
The Widgeon is one of the commonest migratory ducks 
in Britain, coming in great numbers every winter ; it 
also breeds in some numbers in Scotland, but rarely in 
Ireland ; in captivity it is not a pure breeder, but this 
matters less as it can be easily and cheaply procured. 
Apart from the beauty of the drake’s plumage, his clear 
whistling note “ whee-cw ' makes him attractive, 
though his dull mate only emits a purring growl. 
It h as produced Mules with the Pintail and common 
Duck, and also with its near ally, next to be noticed, 
THE CHILIAN WIDGEON. 
(Mareca sibilatrix.) 
This is an inhabitant of southern South America, in- 
troduced early in last century. In size, general build, 
and colour of bill, feet, wings, and belly it resembles 
the male of the common species, but otherwise its 
appearance is very different ; the head is glossy dark 
green, with the face white ; the breast barred black and 
white, the back black laced with white ; the Hanks and 
stern are cinnamon, and the rump black, with a white 
bar at the root of the tail, which is also black. Drake 
and duck are alike, except that the latter is not quite 
so bright, and of course there is no summer change in 
plumage. 
Although lacking the exquisite delicacy of the plum- 
age of the common Widgeon drake in full colour, the 
South American bird is more striking, and has the great 
advantage above mentioned of not varying according to 
sex and season. It is therefore very gratifying that it 
is a good breeder and hardy ; Miss Hubbard states, how- 
ever, that it feels cold winds, and it appears to need 
maize and animal food in winter. But, of course, all 
ducks should have shelter from cutting winds, and a 
certain amount of worms, snails, or other natural 
animal diet constantly supplied, as, though they can 
subsist without this, they naturally like a change, being 
amongst the most omnivorous of birds. 
The male of this species utters a whistle ; no doubt the 
female’s note is different, as in the common bird. It lays 
from May to July, the eggs being seven to nine in 
number. The Mules with the common Widgeon I alluded 
to above, were seen by me some years ago in the London 
Zoo; they greatly favoured the Chilian, and, indeed, 
showed little of the other. It appears that this species 
has also bred with the Chilian Pintail. Being peace- 
able as well as constantly showy, it may be safely called 
one of the most desirable ducks. 
THE SHOVELLER. 
(Spatula clypcata . ) 
The Shoveller, although, with the exception of the 
common Sheldrake, he is about the showiest duck in the 
Fancy, is, 1 fear, not sufficiently attractive in personal 
appearance ever to come into the front rank, by reason 
of his great ugly bill, broadened out at the top till it, is 
semi spoonlike in shape, and with the ordinary ridging 
of the sides developed into a deep horny fringe like 
whalebone in miniature. Otherwise he is a delicately 
made bird, with long wings and small feet, and of mode- 
rate size, being considerably smaller than the Mallard. 
The drake is, indeed, a most brilliant creature, with 
his big head of a rich metallic green, set off by a golden 
eye, pure white breast, and cinnamon-red flanks and 
belly separated from the green-black rump and stern by 
a white patch ; when the wings are opened fresh colours 
are displayed, the “shoulders” being light blue, and 
the bar vivid metallic green, while the tout ensemble is 
completed by bright orange feet, the unfortunate bill 
being plain black ! 
The duck is much like the common wild duck in 
colour, but redder below, and her wings are a feeble 
edition of her own drake’s ; the bill also differs from his, 
being olive above and orange underneath, and her eyes 
are brown ; so, on the whole, she has nothing to redeem 
her “ prominent feature.” 
The drake in undress bears a general resemblance to 
her, but is darker and redder, and retains his brilliant 
wings ; though his bill assumes the female colour, ar are 
thing in drakes in undress. 
It is a curious fact that Shoveller ducklings are 
hatched with bills like those of ordinary young ducks, 
though longer and nariower ; but the length and 
breadth have obviously increased at the age of three 
weeks, especially in drakes. 
The Shoveller is another of the ducks which inhabit 
the northern hemisphere generally, migrating south in 
winter. Some breed in Britain regularly in the wild 
state, and it has bred in the London Zoo. A Mule 
between Shoveller and Garganey has also been kept 
there, but no result attended the keeping of this bird (a 
drake) with females of both pure species. The Shoveller, 
barring its ugly head, is certainly a very ornamental bird 
on the water, and its habits are interesting. It is the 
most essentially surface-feeding duck of all I am dealing 
with, its large, deeply-fringed bill being an exquisitely 
perfect sifting apparatus, calculated to extract the 
smallest particles of food from the water ; hence it 
chielly feeds on the very top, and seldom turns tail 
up in the manner so familiar to observers of ordinary 
surface ducks. It is said to be fond of sifting the 
water when Pochards are diving below, but I have 
never seen my own bird — though kept on a large pond 
in the company of some of these — do this. Probably 
be gets enough on his own account. At the same time, 
the Shoveller will eat grain quite readily, and gives no 
special trouble. 
CHAPTER X. 
TEAL. 
These birds, the dwarfs of the duck tribe, being only 
about the size of a large pigeon, resemble nevertheless 
the ordinary larger ducks in their habits, and, owing to 
their small size, can easily get a living anywhere where 
water is to be found, so that it is not surprising that 
many species of them are found, all over the world. 
This smallness makes them very suitable pets for 
those who can only manage a small pond and enclosure. 
The former need only be a foot deep and a yard wide for 
such little birds, and a dozen square yards of enclosure 
will afford them ample scope. In such a place both our 
British species, which are the only ones commonly met 
with in captivity, may be kept ; but the enclosure should 
Tie netted over completely, as it would be nothing short 
of cruelty to expose such little birds, if pinioned, in the 
open, unless a large pond with islands be available for 
their safe lodgment. Ducks should not, whatever their 
kind, be confined unpinioned in a narrow enclosure, as 
they cannot, as a rule, turn easily in a small space ; and 
for the same reason newly-acquired birds should have 
their wings clipped to keep them from injuring them- 
selves when Hying at first. 
THE COMMON TEAL. 
(Nettion crecca.) 
This is an exquisitely pretty and daintily formed little 
bird, only about fourteen inches long. The drake is 
