of the body; tarsus somewhat rounded; t'pes three' in frbn't,^connected b y
intervening membrane; hind toe free, without pendent lobe oT-membrane.'
Wings rather 'long, pointed. Tail pointed;, or wedg^-shaped. The sexes
differ in plumage.
The first division, or genus, - of the -true Ducks, as here
arranged, will contain the Shovel'er, Dad wall, Pintail, Bi-
maculated Duck, Wild Duck, Garganey," Teal, and the
Wigeons, all of which will be found to have the following
characters in common. Externally they exhibit considerable,
length of neck; the wings are-"also long, reaching nearlyito
the end of the ta il; the tarsi • somewhat round;fitheshin'dstdb
free, or having no-‘pendent lpbe. _In habit^i. they may lie
stated generally as frequenting fresh-water, but passing much
of their time. .on. land, feeding in ditches' and about the shallow
margins of pools, on aquatic plants, insects,; worms, and
occasionally^on small fish, taking their f6od„ at or near the
surface; possessing great powers of flight, but selclom diving,
•unless pursued. Of their- internal soft parts, the. stomach
is in the greatest degree muscular, -forming a true gizzard =;
the intestines long; the csecal appendages from- six> to nine
inches in .-length, in the-larger bird% and decreasing in
proportion' to the'size-^ft the species. Of the bones trfe may
be observed, that the ribs are short, the angle formed by the
union of the last pair on each side extending but little ^beyond
the line of the posterior edge of the sternum ; the keel
of the breast-bone deep, affording great extent of surface for
the attachment of large and powerful pectoral muscles:;- the
enlargement at the bottom of the trachea, in all of them, is
of bone only.
The males of the species of this division are further-rer
markable for a particular change in the colours of some parts
of their plumage, by which they become, for a time during
summer, more or IfeSs like their females. This alteration in
appearance, produced by a partial production of new feathers,
and %ehange 4©$ colour, in others, is very remarkable in the
Pintail ;l< and Colonel Montagu was the first, I believe, to
record in print theannual change which takes place in that
species-. The changes'-which'7 the Mallard undergoes has
;■ since.jrheenfobserved and described by Mr. Waterton. The
Shoveler- and1 others,, also suffer a partial, change1 ofi this sort,
to^bgdhereafter noticed. The cause or the■'[Utility- of this
change has not . been explained, that I am aware of. Mr.
Gould sfps;! ‘has we have observed that this change is common
4© the mdlesfcof thdsef species that > more especially breed
in,'marshes, among reeds, &c., -and as it generally takes place
at the ,period of incubation, may it not serve as a protection
tq< the speciesyfry rendering the fostering parent less conspicuous
at- this critical period,' than he would be were he
to > retain the. rgay- nuptial dress, which twould present -so
Strong a cortbraSihi^^ thervisombre-tinted .vegetation among
which itf is,-®ecessary- for him to remain, until the young are
able'to providet/for themselves, .^ |B u t to this view of the
subject >it „may be mentioned, that as soon, as the females
begin to sit, ,the males, desert them, and thé whole charge
4£x each young brood „devolves upon the female, the males
going, together in small flocks, intent only on providing for
and taking care of themselves.
The Shoveler is to be considered generally as a winter
visiter to this country,- but some remain every year to breed.
Tkey-Shhabit marshes*, lakesy rivers; and muddy-shores,-selecting,
their food in shallow water;. by the -instrumentality
of their sensible beak, the laminated sides of which being
abundantly supplied with, nerves, enable them to retain the
nutritious, and reject the useless:? They feed on some grasses
andstp-ther vègetables, with worms, aquatic and other insects,
even some insects that are winged!;; Gesner;. on that account,
called this species Anas muscaria, and Vieillot says, that
at the present time, one of its common names in France is