298 BIRD-LIFE OF THE BORDERS 



of all their congeners; it will, in fact, presently be shown 

 that each species possesses individual characteristics 

 peculiar to itself. The different conditions of natural dis- 

 position, food-requirements, and general physical econ- 

 omies of every separate species vary so infinitely, that a 

 close study of these conditions and of their effects on the 

 respective birds are both instructive in themselves and an 

 interesting complement to the pursuit of wildfowling". 



By nature the mallard is essentially and absolutely a 

 night-feeding bird (far more so than the wigeon) ; is almost 

 omnivorous in its tastes, but with a partiality for fresh 

 water if easily accessible ; has a strong inclination to 

 rest by day, but is careless as to whether it rests ashore 

 or afloat. Well aware of the danger of remaining inside 

 harbour by day, the mallards, with the wigeon, take flight 

 from their feeding-grounds, as a rule, before a sign of 

 dawn has appeared. Their favourite resorts for whiling 

 away the hours of daylight are, either on the open 

 sea, opposite their feeding-grounds if smooth, or, other- 

 wise, some sheltered bay or roadstead along the coast, 

 possibly several miles away ; or else among the tidal 

 channels, and shallow backwaters formed by the tide in the 

 sand-bars which inclose most large estuaries, both in this 

 and other countries. Wigeon seldom care for these latter 

 resorts, or stop short of the open sea. 



Of course, if there should happen to be in the neighbour- 

 hood of their feeding-grounds an inland lake or pool, undis- 

 turbed and of sufficient extent, this would be the grand 

 resort of the mallard (and wigeon too) ; but I am now refer- 

 ring exclusively to their habits on the coast. 



The sand-bars above mentioned deserve a few words 

 of description, since they form one of the characteristic 

 features of wildfowl-resorts. In many places these wastes of 



