m w-sdM (TinfkiiEii■§ | p i o i
OM [Vi O N SH I E
f«w QteepiiyxK, tfm Common Shieidrake may be considered one of the most beautiful o
.ukreefKamly no' European species which exceeds it in graceful motion or simplicity ofcoloui
dpuaesticafced, it adds great beauty and ornament to our lakes and sheets of water, where, nc
is u native of the sea shore, i f lives and thrives without any difficulty, sailing about with
closely resembles it in*,colouring, as if to display its symmetry and the fine contrast of its
It is distributed throughout the whole of Europe, and is moreover indigenous to the British Isles, breeding
upon sonic parts of our coast in considerable abundance. Ike. situations it chooses for the purpose of
.... .¡wiificaiioii arc both singular and novel: these are no other than the deserted burrows of the rabbit, which
are. abundantly scattered ovef'the sand-hills adjacent to the shore on several parts of the coast; and here' the
female constructs a nest, a t the- distance of many feet from the entrance, consisting of dried grasses and other
vegetable: materials, and lined with down .from its own breast: the eggs arc pure white,. and from twelve to
| i tt-s i L i k e .um^y other birds, the male'and female sit alternately|'and the young so soon as
. they are hatched are conducted, or, «» it is said^ frequently carried in t:h& hiib of the parents, to the sea,
which is the congenial clement; of this species, its they niereljy retire intend to the salt marshes hod saline l&fces;.
for the purpose of feeding.
If we attend to the form of this bird, •■we e$ouot to observe the situation which it iifls in the
family to which it belongs:- its general ohafasitiers mdScarte it iw beJongjr!»g: ta bitjfj true Dudes,. 'while: -its
lengthened tarsus and elevated hind toe, together with its mode of ptqg pafttwion osi the gr o’:ml, denote an
affinity to, the Geese; points which have led to the formatiosr of tlte gen«? TxdorM, o f which this mid the Ipifes
rutifa form the only European examples.
'fb e nbfce of the Common Shieldrake is shrill and whistling. 'flu: fleshy tubercle ou the top o f the upper
mandible acquires in the spring a more heightened and brilliant tinge of crimson than it possesses at the
other seasons of the year. Its food consist» of insects, shelled paollusca, Crustacea, and marine plaots.
The male and female, as in the ti ne Geese, offer but little difference, o f plumage; the latter i*, however, ■
¿somewhat smaller in s«e, and her colours arc wore obscure. [ M.Temounok states that it is found in all the
northern and western countries o f Europe, alppg.the tlm spa, being abundant in Holland and France,
and accidentally appearing m the- river- of Germany *fid other jwirfcs ¿if tbe Continent.
'Dm whole of the head and upper parts of tbe-nedt glOHBjr black; the fewer part of the neck, tbe shoulders,
sides of. the. .abdomen, back, tail, upper and ynder tail-coverts, white; tbe tail being tipped with black, which
colour runs down the middle of the belly, ¡uni cowers the greater portion of the scapulars and greater quill-
feathers ;; a broawi bandof chestnut encircles die bceasfand upper.jtant-of the back; speculum of the wing
brilliant green %. beak bright o jrangivredtarsi *«nd feet IhafeoOiiWir.
The voung have the iorebead» f<W?e part:- of the new) and under parts, iaduuog to white.