1'IM\-iii;ai>i;i) imjck 



liavirif^ 11 vvfll-kiiovvri vii.liic hh oriiiuiiciitii,! hiids; \>h\, mow, I ii.m 

 told \>y riicii<l:. Irom ( !!i,l(;iil,t.;i,, t,li;i,l, ;ui oll'iT of I.'h. 100 per \>\\(\ 

 woiilrj prol^iihly produce; not a Hin^'lc. Hpccimcii. YcL not iiiatiy 

 huvc vi:;i<;\]i;i\ I'liiropn aliv<: Ho Uir, .'uid notM*, ho far !i,h I know, 

 hav(! bred iii (■■,i\)\,\w\ly aiiywlicrc!. 



It in jiikI, poHHihIc, of cours*;, tliii.l, llu; l>irds have not, Ixutn 

 ext(JiiHiv(!ly caii^hl, or hIioI out,, bill siiii|)ly " hliycd," as our hlrd- 

 catolutrH Hay, hy ^''>'> pfrsist'-iil, ncltiri^', as Uu-y Ix^ar ho lii^'li a 

 value;. Ah I HiiJd in niy hook on Indian <luc,kH, f think thin bird 

 Hhoidd not \ii: kdlcd Ji.t ;ill ; it would Ix: no loss to tin; i^.'Uiic liHt, 

 hc-irif^ a had tahlc hird, ;uid not innii< touk enough (;V(!n in itn 

 nu!tro[)oliH to h(; a r(!^'idii,r ohi<:(:t of purHiiit. It is UHually Hccifi 

 in HinjiJI parti<!M only, hut flockn of tinrty an; on rf;(;ord ; mituriilly 

 in the hiccditi;^' Hcason p!i,irH otdy arn to Ix; H(!<:ri. I''oitun!i,tf'.ly 

 th(! IcHialiticH tli(! hirdn mostly nH'ccA, arc out-of-th(:-W!i,y hitn of 

 Htandin^' water, well ^.u|)plifd witli rc.c.ilH ii.nd oth<!r cover, ;i,nd 

 Hitiuited \t) I'orriHt. The hiid, howfivor, unlike niOHt ol' om 

 renidern, <hiekK, in nol, ;i, p< rclur, ;i,nd nests in the liif^h ^riiss, 

 Honietnn<;H hundrtidH of y.'irds Irom vv!i,t( r. The eej^n arc; iiH 

 extraordin.'U-y as the, hird itHfilf, h(!in^' ho rounded ;i,nd white tlnit 

 they look ;ilnioHt like unpolislK^d hilliard-hii,llK. The ninnhei 

 laid vii-ricK from (ivct to tvvic*; an m;iny, .'iiifl the rKJHtn conl-iunin^ 

 thern arc; rourul and well formed, the materiiiln heinj,' dry ^'raKK 

 !ind aTew IViJitherH ; tlu; laying' time; in .June and .July. 



The ordinary hjihitn of thiH duck app(!ar to he enieh the siune. 

 aH thoH(! of the Hf)otted-hill, tln.t is to Kii,y, thoHe, oi iui orditi!i,ry 

 Hurfae(;-fe(!d(tr ; hut as tli<! hird would !i,ppe,ar to \)('- allied to the 

 pochardH, I may mentifdi lh;i,t 1 onee Hfi,w oik; dive as neatly and 

 aH lon^' ;i,H ;i, poeli;ur|, though why I e,!i,ntiot nay. I'luj duck han 

 f)een H(^en to employ most elahorii.te, ;i fTec,t!i,tion:; of injury to 

 decoy idtrudei's from he.f yoini^', ;ind her uolc. was deHcrib(Mi an 

 loud f|ua(d<in{^^ I Imve never heiud it, hut the drakc-'n in ii> 

 mellow two-Hyll;i,hled e;ill, whieh I have tried to n;fidei' ii,s 

 "wu^h-idi," The vvinc-whistle is very eh;i,r;i-ete,ristie, if th*; (licht 

 of the hird in ;i.n aviii.ry is ;i,ny ^iiid*' ; it is c.lc/.ir yet soft, and tfu; 

 flieht is (;;i,sy, ;i,nd in th<' open rii,[)id and stronf^. Of th(! colora- 

 U()\) of the down of th<; .\oimc ;uid of the drake's disf)l;i,y nothinr^ 

 is k'liown ;i,f)p;Mently. 



