FANCY WATERFOWL. 
small vermin. Moreover, they will all breed in cap- 
tivity. They are omnivorous feeders, but need much 
green food. 
THE COMMON SHELDRAKE. 
( Tadorna cornuta.) 
This is the smallest of the three, and the most gaily 
coloured of all the ducks, being conspicuous at a great 
distance, especially as it sits very high in the water, 
almost like a gull. The general plumage is pure 
white, the head being deep green, and the flights, tip of 
tail, a long patch on each side of the back, and another 
down the belly, black. A broad chestnut belt crosses 
the breast and shoulders, and the stern and innermost 
quills are also chestnut; the wing- bar is bright green. 
The bill is beautiful bright red, and the legs flesh- 
coloured. The drake is larger and brighter, and during 
the breeding season has a knob at the root of the bill, 
but otherwise is like the duck ; and the young birds in 
first plumage cannot be mistaken for any other species, 
though wanting the green gloss on the head and the 
chestnut and black on the lower parts. The bill also is 
merely of a livid flesh-colour in the young, not becoming 
red till later. 
This is the best tempered of all the Shel- 
drakes, though it should not be trusted in too 
close quarters with other waterfowl, being able to 
make itself unpleasant even to a goose, as 1 have seen in 
St. James's Park, where it ha'" bred. This Sheldrake in- 
habits the northern part of the old world in summer, 
migrating south in winter, and generally frequenting the 
sea coast. It is one of the few ducks that breed 
in England. The nest is placed in a hole, and this habit 
must be consulted if one wishes to breed the bird in 
captivity, in which state the Sheldrake does well — a re- 
markai le fact when it is considered that it is mainly a 
salt water bird and naturally feeds on shell-fish and sea- 
weed, instead of grain and grass. As above stated, 
common Sheldrakes will breed well enough if given a 
burrow' to nest in, and are not so spiteful as some of their 
kin, while the brilliant contrasts of their even- marked 
plumage are sure to excite admiration. Moreover, the 
birds become very tame. I have even had one eat out of 
my hand at the Clifton Zoo, w 1 err they have, or had some 
years ago, a nice lot of waterfowl loose in a big pond 
with cruelly steep cemented sides, which was hard on the 
poor birds, fed, as they were, out of water. Altogether 
this Sheldrake stands as much apart among ducks for 
beauty, style, and character, as the Goldfinch does among 
Finches, and I wonder that it is not more kept. 
THE RUDDY SHELDRAKE. 
(Casarcn rutila.) 
This is a bigger bird than the preceding, with a 
straigh ter bill, the common Sheldrake's bill being concave 
or “dished” in profile. Its colour, though less striking 
than that of its ally, is very fine, being a rich golden 
cinnamon, darkening to chestnut on the belly and paling 
to buff on the head and neck ; this is set off by a black 
rump, flights, and tail, while the wing bar is bronze green 
and the “shoulder” and lining of the wing white. The 
bill, feet, and eyes are black. The duck only differs from 
the drake in having a white face, and in never assuming 
a black ring round the base of the buff neck which he 
wears in summer ; she is, of course, smaller. 
1'he young are much like old birds, but duller, and it 
should be mentioned that among birds of the same age, 
apparently there is in this species a remarkable variation 
in colour from the rich hue above described, to a w'ashy 
mottled buff most unpleasing to the eye. Possibly, as in 
domestic birds of similar hue, some are naturally bad and 
unsound in colour. On the other hand, the white shoul- 
ders may be tinged with buff, which is, in my opinion, a 
fault, as the contrast of the pure white with the red and 
black, seen when the bird flaps its wings, and only then, 
is so beautiful. 
The Ruddy Sheldrake is also an old-world bird, but 
has a more southern range than the common Sheldrake. 
It is very common in India in winter, and many are 
exported thence to Europe. Its common name in India 
is the “ Brah miny Duck,” and it has a bad reputation 
among duck shooters for spoiling sport by its wariness, 
which alarms other fowls. Among the natives, how- 
even, it has a semi-sacred character. A legend, indeed, 
tells that the Brahminy ducks, which are usually 
seen in pairs, are the present habitations of the 
souls of a sort of Hindoo Romeo and Juliet, doomed 
for their rebellious love always to remain apart on 
opposite sides of a river, while their call is rendered as a 
constant appeal from one to be allowed to join the other, 
an application which is always lefused. And, indeed, 
as a well-known Indian naturalist, Mr. E.C.S. Baker, has 
pointed out, it needs little imagination to hear in the 
broken trumpet call of this Sheldrake the Hindustani 
equivalent for the lovers’ appeal. — Alina sukta, Chvkwa ? 
Nai, Chuckwi (Mav I come, Chukwa? No, Cliukwi), 
etc. And as Cl uk iva - rhukivi the bird is commonly 
known. But to descend from romance to practice ; happy 
or unhappy themselves, Chukwa and Cliukwi have 
tempers of their own, and will make matters lively 
enough for any other waterfowl, smaller or larger, that 
may be unfortunate enough to be confined closely with 
them, even if not breeding. On the other hand, they 
breed well themselves, spend most of their time on land, 
and their colour looks peculiarly beautiful on grass — on 
which they graze readily, so that they are particularly 
well suited to a beginm rwl o wants to take no trouble, 
especially as they are not expensive. If the young be 
allowed to grow up unpinioned, they will probably lie 
lost in time ; but the experiment is worth making, as 
no duck is so beautiful on the wing, the contrast of the 
cinnamon body and pied wings, well seen in the slow 
flight, being remarkably striking. I well remember the 
fine sight which four unpinioned birds of this species, l rcd 
in St. James’s I ’ark some years ago, used to present when 
on the wing, seen against a background of dark green 
foliage. As the Ruddy Sheldrake breeds in any sort of 
hole in rocks, or even deserted buildings, it ought to be 
possible, if people can ever be got to leave out of the way 
birds alone, to have it flying about houses like a pigeon, 
as it has not the love of saltwater to tempt it away — - 
this probably being the reason why the common Shel- 
drake cannot be got to stay. This bird is, says Miss 
Hubbard, an early breeder, producing a nest of eggs 
even in a snowy March. The eggs are cream coloured, 
from seven to twelve in number. 
This bird has hybridized with the Egyptian goose, 
which, as above stated, is really only a big Sheldrake. 
A pair of these mules used to be on view, and perhaps 
are still, at the London Zoo. They almost completely 
resemble the Ruddy Sheldrake, though larger and duller, 
but had the pink legs of the other parent. 1 have seldom 
seen such one-sided hybrids. 
THE VARIEGATED SHELDRAKE OR PARADISE 
DUCK. 
( Casarca variegata. ) 
This species resembles the last in size, style, and 
colour of bill, feet and wiDgs, but differs much in the 
body plumage of the male, which is of a dark pencilled 
iron-grey, set off by a chestnut stern and inner quills, 
and a dark glossy green head. The female is much 
more like the Ruddy Sheldrake, but has pencilled grey 
mixed with the red, and a pure white head; the sexes, 
though equally handsome, being very unlike each other, a 
unique case among the Sheldrakes. The young birds of 
both sexes are alike, and more closely resemble the 
drake, the young ducks getting their white heads at 
about six months old. 
