Tadoma casarca (Lit
BUDDY SHELD-DIJCK.
TADORN A CASARCA [Linn.).
Anas casarca, Linn. S. N. iii. App. p. 224 (1768).
Anas rutila, Naum. xi. p. 564.
Tadorna casarca, Macg. v. p. 19; Yarr. ed. 4, iv. p. 347;
Dresser, vi. p. 461.
Tadorna rutila, Hewitson, ii. p. 399.
Le Tadorne, French; Rost-Ente, German; Pato Tarro,
Spanish.
This handsome bird is a very rare straggler to our
country, and, although several of the records of its
occurrence no doubt refer to bond fide travellers, so
many of this species have of late years been reared in.
domestication in England, France, Belgium, and Holland,
that I am inclined to look with some suspicion
upon the more recent captures. We have reared several
Ruddy Sheld-Ducks at Lilford, and in one instance a
home-bred bird that had escaped the operation of
pinioning, roamed for miles up and down the valley of
the Nene for upwards of four years in perfect liberty,
generally returning to his native pond after a few days’
absence, owing his life in a great measure to the kindness
of my neighbours, and no doubt to a considerable