Birds of Britain 



however, they are much disturbed they will be led away 

 by their mother to a neighbouring piece of water, often at 

 some considerable distance. 



In a wild state the Mallard, as the male of this species 

 is called, is strictly monogamous, and during the whole of 

 incubation he will remain in the vicinity of the nest, warn- 

 ing his mate of the approach of danger, and accompanying 

 her when she comes off to feed. Once the young are 

 hatched he retires to some secluded and sheltered piece 

 of water, where he assumes a dull plumage, somewhat 

 resembling that of the female. During this period he be- 

 comes very skulking, rarely showing himself on the open 

 water. When his dull or " eclipse " plumage has been 

 assumed, he casts all his flight feathers at once, and for a 

 short time becomes incapable of flight. These grow again 

 in about a fortnight, and then in September he begins to 

 assume his brilliant colours once more, and comes from his 

 secluded retreat to join his comrades. In the winter they 

 gather in large flocks, which resort to open sheets of water 

 or the sea, flighting every evening to the marshes and shore 

 to feed, and retiring again at daybreak to rest on the water. 



It is these daily movements of Duck that are known to 

 sportsmen as " flights," and they afford excellent shooting to 

 the gunner concealed on their route. Vast numbers of this 

 and other species of Duck used formerly to be taken in 

 decoys, but partly owing to decrease in the numbers of the 

 fowl, or still more to the increase of shooters, who frighten 

 them away, few if any decoys are now worked at a profit 

 in this country. A decoy is a pond in a suitable locality 

 near the sea surrounded by trees and having two or four 



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