BUCKS AND DRAKES 393 



gether, for the Duck is chiefly to be considered as food. 

 You all know what a well-rounded, compact body a 

 Duck has ; do you remember having seen one carved, 

 and how very hard it was to cut off its legs ? " 



" Yes, I do," said Nat. " Sometimes the Duck almost 

 bounces off the dish, and then father says things — at 

 least, I mean, he says he wishes that people who go 

 shooting and send him presents of AVild Ducks would 

 send a carving map and a good sharp knife with them ; 

 but I never understood what he wanted the map for." 



" To find the joints, my boy," laughed the Doctor, as 

 if he had a sympathetic feeling for carvers who find 

 themselves in front of a tough Duck or Goose, no mat- 

 ter how well they know where the joints ought to be 

 found. " A Duck's legs are very short, and not only 

 set far back on the body, but sunk into the skin quite 

 up to the knees; so that the joints are very hard to 

 find. This is planned to give the Duck more strength 

 and ease in swimming, when the legs act like paddles. 

 All Ducks' feet have three long toes in front and a 

 short one behind, the front toes being loosely joined by 

 two skin flaps which stretch between them when spread 

 apart, making what we call web-feet." 



"Something the way frogs' feet are? " asked Nat. 



" Very much upon the same plan. Then Ducks have 

 wide flat beaks of various shapes, with a sort of nail 

 bent over like a hook at the end, and all along each 

 side is a double row of little teeth, to help them take 

 their food. Their stiff, pointed wings are quite strong 

 enough to lift their heavy bodies off the ground or 

 water into the air, and keep up an even flight, often 

 more rapid than the swiftest express train." 



