CARE OF OFFSPRING 231 



they will not rest contentedly together till the wings have 

 grown, as do the young of those birds which leave the shell 

 with eyes unopened, naked, and altogether helpless. How 

 this transportation is accomplished is not certainly known; it 

 has been surmised that they are brought down by the aid of 

 the parent's beak. In two or three instances, however, this 

 descent has been witnessed by careful observers, and in each 

 case the youngsters launched themselves into space, falling un- 

 hurt, some twenty feet, to the ground, when they were trium- 

 phantly led off to the water by the female parent, who, by 

 loud quackings, apparently encouraged them to take this 

 wonderful plunge ! Possibly this is the normal method of 

 descent. The Eider-duck similarly will sometimes choose an 

 abnormal nesting site of this kind. But the Tree-ducks, of the 

 Genus Dendrocygna, and the Golden-eye Duck {Clangida glau- 

 cion) invariably nest in trees, the latter choosing a hole in 

 the trunk of some decayed giant, some twelve feet or more 

 from the ground. In this case it would seem to be obviously 

 more easy to raise the young from such a nest when held be- 

 tween the legs, as Woodcock are said to do, than when pressed 

 close to the body by the aid of the beak. Yet, according to 

 the observation of a Lap clergyman, the latter method is that 

 actually adopted. He watched a female while she made no less 

 than five journeys to the nest, and on each occasion saw her 

 leave the hole with a nestling, which he was certain was held 

 under the beak, and supported against the neck. Nevertheless 

 this requires confirmation. 



That the Duck tribe feel great affection towards their young 

 is certain. And a good instance of this is furnished by the case 

 of a Teal which came under the notice of Sir Ralph Payne- 

 Gallway. A farm-boy fell in with a brood of nestlings and 

 drove them before him to Lord Cavan's lodge, the mother 

 following after, and keeping close at hand the whole way. He 

 drove them into the yard, and into a shed, but even here the 

 undaunted mother followed, and this in spite of the presence of 

 dogs and people ! 



To return to the question of the transportation of helpless 

 young from considerable heights to the ground, we need but 

 mention the Auk tribe by way of further illustration. Here 

 there is rarely need for canying, as the young do not leave the 



