MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES. 



48 



The Mallard, (Anas boschas.)— A nest of this shy bird was found by a lad amongst a clump 

 of sedge near the Eccup reservoir; he took the eggs home, and out of curiosity they were set 

 under a Domestic Duck, and in process of time all hatched. The young brood seemed to take 

 very kindly to their homely foster-parent, and grow remarkably tame, which lasted until they 

 were well fledged, when their natural wildness appeared to be slowly returning. The company 

 of their domestic congeners was now too tame for them, and they generally kept to themselves, 

 paying frequent visits to the not-far-distant reservoir, but always returning to the farm-yard; 

 a sudden noise, or the presence of Dogs, etc., would start them up, and away they would go 

 again for the still waters. This continued until one day a gun was discharged very near them , 

 when one and all took to their wings and never afterwards returned. I believe that many 

 attempts have been made to restrain the natural wildness of this beautiful bird, but I can hear 

 of no instance where the exporhnent has been perfectly successful in reconciling it to domestic 

 life. While writing this, the recollection of another curious circumstance comes fresh to my 

 memory. During a visit to some friends at Wistow, many years ago, where perhaps my taste 

 for Natural History was first developed, I was often amused with the eccentricities of an old 

 Goose, who had seemingly forsaken his own kindred and formed a friendly alliance with a flock 

 of Ducks, in the midst of which he was always to be found, either afloat or ashore, indeed any 

 approach to his own tribe generally met with a rebuff"; but he was of a peaceable turn— a sort 

 of Quaker bird— and not the Goose to pick up a questionable quarrel, so these insults were 

 never retaliated but by a goodly liiss. On inquiring into this strange friendship, I was given 

 to understand that the venerable Goose had been hatched under a Duck, whose motherly kindness 

 he still evidently cherished, in the fact of his sticking to the family group ever after, in the 

 midst of which he probably still maintains a conspicuous place. — Idem. 



The Cormorant.— The "fanqui" or foreigner in China may have seen, and the "kind reader" 

 of modern phraseology may have read of, a small vessel trading up and down the "celestial 

 waters," dignified by the name of a Duck-boat, so called from the hundreds of these birds they 

 are stowed with, which forms the floating capital of a numerous class dwelling on the Chinese 

 rivers. These Duck-merchants often combine the fisherman with their other avocations, and 

 indeed it is absolutely necessary for this povertj' -stricken race to turn their wits to the best 

 advantage if they mean to honestly exist, so that we may expect to meet shrewd customers 

 among them, who verify the old adage of "either fishing or mending the net," and in modern 

 parlance "being up to a thing or two," one of which is training the Connorant to fish, which 

 it docs with surprising dexterity and success. We may say if the Chinese can train this bird 

 to such perfection, surely it can be done here; so thought a gentleman residing in this neigh- 

 bourhood, whose name I do not feel at liberty to mention, who accordingly procured some young 

 Cormorants from near Flamborough Head, and by diligent training, succeeded in domesticating 

 and making them fii-st-rate fishers. The birds are earned about in a sort of hutch, to some 

 suitable pond or stream ; a small strap is then fastened round the neck to prevent them swallowing 

 their prey; thus prepared, they are turned adrift, and, if the water is sufficiently clear, may 

 be seen beneath the surface chasing their prey with the rapidity of a dart, and they seldom 

 fail in procuring large numbers of fine fish. One old gentleman was very glad to get them 

 out of his favourite trout stream, for it seemed certain that if they were allowed a fair day's 

 sport, the destruction of all the fish would have been the result. — Idem. 



Note on the Autumnal Incubation of the Wood Pigeon, (Columba palumbus.) — About tho 

 latter end of September, as I was enjoying a leisurely stroll through a wood in tlio immediate 

 vicinity of this place, my attention was attracted to one of the numerous spruce firs planted 

 along the margin of the path, by the hurried flight from its centre of a Wood Pigeon; and 

 upon intently reg-arding the point from which it issued, I faintly perceived through the thick 

 branches the outline of one of those peculiar collections of sticks used as nests by this species. 

 As it was not placed any very considerable distance above the surface of the ground, I climljcd 

 upon the lower branches of the tree, and looked into it with a view of examining its condition, 

 when, to my surpiise and astonishment, I found that the nest contained two eggs. In the 

 course of my oruithological experience I have not met with the eggs of this species except 

 during the earlier mouths of the season. Have any of your correspondents noticed a similar 

 deviation in the period of incubation from the ordinary habit of this species? — J. Henry Davies, 

 Thirsk, October 14th., 1853. 



