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SPECIES 4. -dNdS CLYPEdTW9.
                     SHOVELLER.
                 [Plate LXVII.-Fig. 7.]
Le Souchet, BRISS. VI, P. 329. 6. pl. 32. fig. 1.-BUFF. IX, 191.-
  P1. Eut. 971.-.Lrct. Zool. JVo. 485.-CATESB. I, pl. 96, female.
  -LATH. Syl. iii, P. 509.-PEALE'S Jliuseunt, XNo. 2734.*
  IF we except the singularly formed and disproportionate size
of the bill, there are fewv Ducks more beautiful, or more ele-
gantly marked than this. The excellence of its flesh, which is
uniformly juicy, tender, and well tasted, is another recommen-
dation to which it is equally entitled. It occasionally visits the
seacoast; but is more commonly found on our lakes and rivers,
particularly along their muddy shores, where it spends great
part of its time in searching for small worms, and the larvae of
insects, sifting the watery mud through the long and finely set
teeth of its curious bill, which is admirably constructed for the
purpose; being large, to receive a considerable quantity of mat-
ter, each mandible bordered with close-set, pectinated rows,
exactly resembling those of a weaver's reed, which fitting into
each other form a kind of sieve, capable of retaining very mi-
nute worms, seeds, or insects, which constitute the principal
food of the bird.
  The Shoveller visits us only in the winter, and is not known
to breed in any part of the United States. It is a common bird
  * We add the following Synonymes.-Jnas clypeatai, GMEL. Syst. I, P. 518,
No. 19. .R. Mexicana, Id. p. 519, JNo. 81?-.d. rubens, Id. No. 82.-LATH.
Ild.
Opel p. 856, No. 60; p. 857, .No. 61, >AXo. 62. Gen. Syn. ini,p. 511,
JVo. 56;p.
512. .No. 57. Blue-wing shoveller, CATESBY, I, pI. 96, female.-Br. Zool.
No.
280, No. 281.-Le Souchelt du Jllexique, Bniss. VI, P. 337. Le Canard Sauvage
du Mexique, Id. p. 327. No. 5.-Canard Souchet, TEMM. /'lan. d'Orn. p. 842,
-BEwIcK, II, P. 310, 313. PEALI'S .Museui, NO. 2735, female.