196 BIRDS AND MAN 



would take a few steps forward and place himself 

 directly before her, so as to compel her to give 

 attention, and rock more vigorously than ever, 

 haranguing her, as it were, although without words ; 

 the meaning of it all being that it was time for her 

 to get up and go to her burrow to lay her egg. I 

 do not know any other species in which the male 

 takes it on himself to instruct his mate on a domestic 

 matter which one would imagine to be exclusively 

 within her own province ; and some ornithologists 

 may doubt that I have given a right explanation 

 of these curious doings of the sheldrake. But 

 mark what follows : The duck at length gets up, 

 in a lazy, reluctant way, perhaps, and stretches a 

 wing and a leg, and then after awhile sways her 

 head two or three times, as if to say that she is 

 ready. At once the drake, followed by her, walks 

 off, and leads the way to the burrow, which may 

 be a couple of hundred yards away ; and during 

 the walk she sometimes stops, whereupon he at 

 once turns back and begins the swaying motion 

 again. At last, arriving at the mouth of the burrow, 

 he steps aside and invites her to enter, rocking him- 

 self again, and anon bending his head down and 

 looking into the cavity, then drawing back again; 

 and at last, after so much persuasion on his part. 



