COMMON 8HELD-DTJCK.
tliis Dock is known in Norfolk, says that it is iwinuuialili a pontraction i>f b u r ro w-ga n d or; bnt it appears to
me just as probable thai it is derived from its German name ' Bergen te,' hj wbioh (ids bird is well known all
along tlic German coasts."
In the summer of lKfJS 1 was collecting in lioss-sbire and Sutherland, and while staving at Dingwall, and
constantly travelling by rail up and down the line that followed the course of the Dornoch Firth, I noticed (bat
numbers of Sheld-Ducks frequented the waters of the salt-water firths and nested in the sand-hanks extending
along several parts of the coast. In June and July the young are following the old birds on the firths, and at
my first attempt to secure specimens in this state T had a narrow escape from what might have proved a
very unpleasant mishap. The following exl ract from my notes refers to the subject:—
"June 20. With three men I started hyan early train from Lairg to Edderton, to go to the Moikle Kerry,
to make an attempt to secure a brood of Shcld-Duoks that had been seen on the sands near the course we
followed while passing up and down the line. On reaching the station and proceeding to the hanks where a
view could he obtained, vvc soon detected the whole family on the sandy Hats near the shore and anticipated it
would he easy to run them down. This, however, was soon discovered to he a mistaken idea, as the tiny mites
were able to scamper and Hotter over the ground nearly twice as fast as their pursuers, and I could only get
near enough to stop one with a charge of shot, when the remainder of the brood liad disappeared from sight.
As the tide rose, the juveniles were observed out in Ivdderton Bay with the ducks, ami alter blowing out the
indiu-rublier boat which had been brought with us I started in pursuit of them. The duck ami a couple of
young ones were soon shot, and I next made an attempt to follow the rest of the brood, when it was discovered
that the blade of one of the oars bad become detached and slipped off, leaving my craft to the mercy of the
wind and tide ". Luckily the former proved most powerful, and my light and buoyant craft was soon forced
over the ebb by the strong breeze, and I reached shallow water near Ardmoro Point on the west side of Eddcrtou
Bay. Jumping overboard at the tirst chance, I dragged the boat ashore by the painter, and was none the worse
for the mishap. The men were much put out on discovering that they- were unable to procure any boats at the
Mciklc Terry to come to my assistance; hut they started oil' at once for the opposite side of the bay, a distauea
of about a couple of miles, when they ascertained that the « ind sprin:_-im," up would carry my boat towards the
shore in that quarter. Had the accident, however, happened an hour or two later, when the tide was running
strongly- out of the Firth, I might have been swept out to sea without attracting attention on cither side of the
water, unless the men bad been able to give information at the fishing-stations." Tor the future I never
ventured afloat in the india-rubber boat without stronger oars; these were made of ash, in one piece, and the
remaining one of the old pair was titled with a bolt run through the two parts and a nut screwed on the end, to
act as a reserve in case of an accident.
On visiting the shores of Bdderton Bay and making our way to the Mciklc Perry point a few daya later,
after a cold breeze bad been blowing, wc found three downy youngsters of this species lying on the shore at
high-water mark, wheru the refuse cast up by the tide was collected. The helpless little mites were perfectly
fresh and bad probably only been washed up a few hours before; these doublless belonged to the same brood
as those that had perished from the effects of the cold after being deprived of the care and warmth afforded by
the old duck that had licen shot.
During a residence of three or four years in East Lothian, I discovered that Shcld-Ducks wore very
numerous about the Gullane Links in the breeding-season, these wide-sprcading sandy Hats sloping down to the
shores of the Firth of Forth affording them nmple accommodation Tor nesting-purposes. At times I also
observe them on the wntcrs of the Firth for many miles both east and west.
After a long continuation of severe weather in u inter, birds of this species arc frequently seen in the
• The onrs were nuile in l=o parts, for convenience ID pulling, one Euing into • circle of tin on the other, awl held together by n pin that
i-OHMON Sllbl.D-DL'CK.
Channel, off the south coast, in small parties of two or three or twice that number. In January 1881, after the
disastrous gales that caused so much loss had swept over that part of the country, I shot an Immature
drake at sea, off Lancing in Sussex, on the 22nd of the month. The colouring of the soft parts was as follows:—
Upper mandible a dirty light red tint, with pale shade of orange showing hare and there, black ring round
nostril, the nail dusky and a dark line round it. Lower mandible dirty livid flesh-tint. Lege, webs, ami toes
livid flesh-colour, very pale ; nails pale bom-lint. On the 28th another was obtained off Shorcham ; this was an
immature tluek, smaller, and the plumage not so brightly tinted. The colouring of the soft iiarts was almost
precisely similar to that exhibited by the young drake.
To procure specimens of Sheld-Ducks in the most beautiful plumage, the adult birds must bo obtained just
before the breeding-season. After attending to the young and entering the burrows or boles in which their
nests are placed, the feathers become worn and dirty by the constant rubbing against the sand or mould.