Ornithological and Other Oddities 



her food and toilet till the lost one was restored. 

 The sequel was curious and tragic ; for the re- 

 turned husband fell upon his would-be supplanter 

 and mortally injured him. I have not the least 

 doubt that the duck incited him to this ; for the 

 Mandarin duck is as bad as an ancient Icelandic 

 lady for stirring up fights, and one can soon 

 understand her gesture-language of pointing and 

 beckoning as well as her devoted husband does. 

 Very funny it is to see him, urged by such signs, 

 rush out at another luckless Mandarin, who, as 

 he hurries away with plumage pressed closely 

 down, looks quite a different bird from the 

 swelling victor returning in his pride to his 

 admiring consort. 



Few of the ducks are so loving as this, and 

 none so quaint in their expressions of emotion ; 

 but the Mandarin's only near relative, the Caro- 

 lina or Summer duck of North America, is even 

 stronger in his affections, as he will call his wife 

 to a dainty, like the barndoor cock, and has been 

 known even to die of grief at her sudden decease. 

 Speaking of the familiar rooster's generosity to 

 his hens, reminds one that that gentleman is 

 certainly in most ways an excellent husband. 

 He rules a harem, it is true, but there is usually 

 a favourite of whom he is really fond, and he is 

 generous to all and brave in their defence, while 



most chivalrous in his abstention from striking 



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