344 
BRITISH BIRDS. 
is over, to their terrified motionlefs little offspring, 
to renew the tender offices of cheriffiing and pro- 
tedling them. 
Thefe birds are fometimes watched to their holes, 
which are dug up to the neft, whence the eggs are 
taken, and hatched, and the young reared by a 
Tame Duck. In this way many gentlemen, tempt- 
ed by the richnefs of their garb, have their ponds 
flocked with thefe beautiful birds ; but as they are 
of a roving difpofition, and are apt to flray, or to 
quit altogether fuch limited fpots, it is generally 
found neceflary to pinion or difable a wing to fe- 
cure them. The Shieldrake has been known to 
breed with the Common Duck ; but it is not well 
afcertained whether the hybrids thus produced will 
breed again or not 
This fpecies is difperfed, in greater or lefs num- 
bers, over the warm, as well as the cold climates, 
in vari6us parts of the world : they are met with as 
far north as Iceland in the fpring, and in Sweden 
and the Orkney Iflands in the winter. Captain 
Cook notices them, among other fea-fowl, on the 
coafl of Van Deimen’s land, and they have been 
feen, in great numbers, at the Falkland Illands. 
Although they are not numerous on the Britiffi and 
the oppofite fhores, yet they are common enough 
in the Britiffi ifles, where they remain throughout 
the year, always in pairs, and occafionally flraggle 
away from the fea-coafts to the lakes inland. 
