. Wild birds and their haunts (a book for students and sportsmen) . is divided on the crownfrom the line of the eyes backwards by a narrow line ofgreenish-white ; the occiput and sides of the neck, with alarge patch rounded inferiorly pistachio green, the feathersbeing rather long and still, capable of being raised atwill ; the cheeks, neck, back, and sides of the rump, purewhite ; breast, rich cream-yellow ; the wings above thegreater covers, scapulars, and tertials, white tinted withstraw-yellow ; the latter loose in their webs, and curvedover the wing ; the rump and upper tail-covers, belly
. Wild birds and their haunts (a book for students and sportsmen) . is divided on the crownfrom the line of the eyes backwards by a narrow line ofgreenish-white ; the occiput and sides of the neck, with alarge patch rounded inferiorly pistachio green, the feathersbeing rather long and still, capable of being raised atwill ; the cheeks, neck, back, and sides of the rump, purewhite ; breast, rich cream-yellow ; the wings above thegreater covers, scapulars, and tertials, white tinted withstraw-yellow ; the latter loose in their webs, and curvedover the wing ; the rump and upper tail-covers, belly, vent,and under tail-covers, black ; the greater wing coversshort and black ; secondaries blackish-brown ; quills andtail greyish-brown ; bill and legs greenish yellow. Among the small parties on our shores, many birdsare noticed of a piebald appearance, and are reallythose that have not attained their complete dress, whichincludes a period of four years, the time allotted by thelarge majority of British writers. The female has a more subdued plumage The Common Sheldrake 179 THE COMMON SHELLDRAKE (TADORNABELONII). IN the full adult state of this bird, from the decidedmarkings of clear white, reddish-orange, and black,it is one of our most beautiful and clean-lookingducks. It is a truly maritime species, or a shore duck,being seldom or never seen far inland, nor frequentingfresh waters, except during the season of incubation. It breeds in the holes and crevices of rocks, and whennear a warren selects the rabbit burrows. When theyoung are hatched, they are conducted to the sea, andare sometimes carried in the bill of the parents to theirprotecting element. If come upon when the young arenewly hatched, the old birds endeavour to lead off theintruder by feigning lameness, like some of the rasoresand grallatores, but when they have reached a moreadvanced state, unless a dog is present, they almost in-variably fly straight away. Head and neck glossy blackish green; lowe
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, booksubjectwaterbi, bookyear1922
