Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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About this entry:
First published 1934 (SND Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
BAR-DRAKE, BAR-DUCK, n. A bird.
1. The red-breasted merganser, Mergus Serrator.Uls. 1880 W. H. Patterson Gl. Ant. and Dwn.:
Bar-drake, Bar-duck, the red-breasted merganser.Dwn. 1885 C. Swainson Brit. Birds 164:
Bardrake (Down). From the brown and ash-coloured streak on the rump.
2. The common Sheldrake, Tadorna Cornuta (E.D.D.).Irel. 1843 W. Yarrel Birds 142:
The bar-drake or bar-duck preferring flat shores, sandy bars, and links, where it breeds in rabbit burrows or other holes in the soft soil, and hence has obtained the name of Burrow Duck, and Bar-Gander.
