THE SAVAGE WORLD, 
405 
The European Sheldrake, or Burrow Duck ( Tadorna vulpanser) , takes 
its name from its using rabbit burrows as its nest. It is as cunning as a fox 
and hence is sometimes called the sly goose. To protect its nest from the hunter 
it will pretend to be lame or maimed, and if he is deceived will finally cause 
him to believe that he has started in pursuit of an ignis fatnus. It does not 
change its 
coloring 
with the sea¬ 
sons, but in¬ 
stead of this 
moults once 
a year. The 
male claims 
no greater 
brilliancy of 
plumage 
than is al¬ 
lotted to the 
female. In 
Jutland the 
inhabitants 
have built 
up quite an 
industry out 
of the eggs 
and downy 
feathers o f 
the burrow 
ducks , and 
provided mallard -duck. 
them with 
burrows which, while satisfying the birds, reduce the labor expended in robbing 
them, as the duck divests herself of her down with which to line her nest. 
WOOD, OR BRIDAL DUCK. 
MANDARIN DUCK. 
Many of my readers have seen eider-down, and the next of the ducks of 
which we are to speak is the Eider Duck [Somateria mollissima). It belongs to 
the Arctic zone, and is abundant in Ireland, Norway and Greenland. Norway has 
recently divided with Africa the palm of interest for pleasure-seeking travellers, and 
