LEAVES FROM MY NOTE-BOOK. 51 



white collar round the neck of the mallard became broader and 

 less regular, and some of the long primary wing feathers became 

 more or less white. When this occurred, Mr. Hewitt destroyed 

 nearly the whole of his stock, and procured fresh eggs from wild 

 nests ; so that he never bred from the same family for more than 

 five or six generations. It seems strange that he was not curious 

 to see the further result of his experiment. His birds continued 

 to pair together, and never became polygamous, like the common 

 domestic duck. I presume that the expression " deterioration " 

 must be meant to apply to the profound mental and moral deteri- 

 oration of the domesticated duck, since Mr. Hewitt's semi-tamed 

 wild ducks increased in size. Woefully has civilisation changed 

 the habits of the tame duck from this idyllic picture of its wild 

 cousins. 



" The Wild Duck pairs very early in the year, the period being 

 somewhat delayed by hard weather and the ceremonies of court- 

 ship, which require some little time. Soon after these are performed 

 the respective couples separate in search of suitable nesting places. 

 The spot chosen is often near a river or pond, but often very far 

 removed from water ; and it may be under a furze bush or a dry 

 heath, at the bottom of a thick hedge-row, or even in any conve- 

 nient hole in a tree. A little dry grass is generally collected, and 

 on it the eggs, from nine to eleven in number, are laid. As soon 

 as she begins to sit, the mother begins to divest herself of the 

 down which grows thickly beneath her breast feathers, so that the 

 eggs are deeply embedded in this heat-retaining substance — a por- 

 tion of which she is always careful to pull, as a coverlet, over her 

 treasures when she quits them for food. She is seldom absent 

 from the nest but once, or perhaps twice, a day, and then she dare 

 not leave it till her mate has assured her she may do so unob- 

 served. Joining him, the pair resort to some quiet spot, where 

 she may bathe and otherwise refresh herself. Then they return to 

 the nest, and after cautiously reconnoitrmg the neighbourhood, she 

 reseats herself on her eggs, while her mate, when she is settled, 

 repairs again to the water, and passes his time listlessly in the 

 company of his brethren, who have the same duties, hopes, and 

 cares. Short and infrequent as are the absences of the duck 

 during incubation, they become shorter and more infrequent 



