DUCKS 



115 



quantities of eggs, flesh, and feathers for thou- 

 sands of years. The Mallard, bred while in 

 domestication, forms an important part of the 

 food supply of China, the most populous country 

 on the globe, and now the Pekin Duck is the 

 staple stock of many a huge poultry plant in 

 America. The Mallard is the chief waterfowl 

 of most game preserves, on some of which 10,000 

 birds are reared annually. It has gained its 

 ascendancy among the waterfowl of the world 

 by taking advantage of every opportimity to 

 increase and multiply. It never overlooks a 

 chance. One spring dav Dr. William T. Horna- 

 day, director of the New York Zoological Park, 

 found in Montana a little water hole hardly ten 

 feet across ; all about in every direction for miles 

 and miles stretched a desert of sage-brush shim- 



young are hatched. Then she leads them to 

 water, watches over them, driving away their 

 weaker enemies and decoying away the stronger, 

 while the little ones skulk, dive, or hide among 

 the water ])lants. Inherited exijerience has 

 taught them the way of life ; but many are seized 

 by great fish, frogs and turtles, and no doubt the 

 Hawks captiu'e some. The brood is large, how- 

 ever, and the survivors are many. 



When advancing winter seals the waters of 

 their northern home and warns them to be gone, 

 then there is a great flight from northwest to 

 southeast, for few Mallards breed in the East, 

 but many winter there. They reach the Atlantic 

 from Maine to the Carolinas and, moving south, 

 spend the winter largely in the southern States. 

 Edward Howe Fokbush. 



Drawing by R, I Brasher 



MALLARD (J nat. size) 

 The chief waterfowl of most game preserves 



mering in the sun. As he dismounted to drink, 

 a female Mallard sjjrang from her nest in the 

 sage-brush by the side of the little pool. One 

 can understand from this episode how the Mal- 

 lard has been able to spread over the northern 

 hemisphere. 



The Mallard is wary. wise, handsome, and 

 strong. W'hen in security it is one of the noisiest 

 of all Ducks and its loud quack has become ty])i- 

 cal of the Duck the world around, but when in 

 danger it can steal away as silentlv as the shades 

 of night. It is a hardy bird, remaining in the 

 North even in winter wherever open fresh water 

 and food may be found. The female nests very 

 early in the season, lines the nest and covers the 

 eggs with down, and rarely leaves them until the 



" The Mallard is quite omnivorous in regard 

 to its food. The animal food consists of small 

 frogs, tadjioles, toads, lizards, newts, small fish, 

 fish fry, snails, mussels, leeches, earthworms, 

 luice. ancl similar small game that it finds about 

 the pond and in the edges of the woods. Its vege- 

 table food includes grass, many species of seeds 

 and aquatic ])lants. grain, nuts, acorns, fruits, 

 etc. It is particularly fond of wild rice. In the 

 South the Mallard is one of the friends of the 

 rice farmer, as it destroys the scattered rice or 

 volunteer rice of the field, which, if left to grow, 

 would greatlv reduce the value of the crop. It 

 is serviceable to the southern people in another 

 way. as it feeds very largely upon crayfish, which 

 burrow into and undermine the levees and dikes. 



