[CuAp. Xi, 54 



PA.KA. ;u.J 



yet on this occasion one of tlic lurt^cst flocks lie lisis ever 

 seen nnder these conditions swept past liiiu in the fusil- 

 lade over fifty strong, so near and so p.'ukcd as to yield 

 three birds to two barrels. 



These remarks on the size of flocks do not refer to 

 the birds when flighting to and from their feeding-grounds. 

 They arrive at such places in small ])arties (rising higher 

 in the air as they leave the river-bed, etc., which iliey 

 may have been following) and return in larger flights. 



The old-time wild-fowlers of England had, like the 

 followers of other sports, e.g., Falconry, a wonderful techni- 

 cal vocalmlary of their own, in which there were appro- 

 priate names, not only for flocks of a particular size, but 

 for collections of Ducks of a particular kind, or for parties 

 of fowl on the water or in tlie air, as the case might be. 

 These special names were — 



A "trip"' was a small uuml)er, say tliirty to forty 

 of Ducks or Geese. 



A " buncli " was a similar party of Wigeon, Pochard 

 or Teal. 



A "knob" was a still smaller number of Wigeon, 

 Pochards or Teal. 



A "paddling " was a party of Ducks on the water. 

 A "team " was a party of Ducks in the air. 

 A " sord " or " suit " was a flock of Mallard. 

 A "company " was a flock of Wigeon. 

 A "flight" or "rush" was a flock of Dunbird (The 

 Pochard). 



A " spring " was a flock of Teal. 



Ducks are essentially gregarious birds, but tliey show 

 a clannish preference for tlieir own species, the flocks 

 being homogeneous. fSome species will associate with 

 others, yet this is the exception rather than the rule. 

 The Common Teal, the Gadwall, even the Spotbill, are 

 sometimes seen in company with other kinds of Duck, 

 but the most sociable of all the species is the Shoveller. 

 He is the vulgarian of the True Ducks, and perhaps finds, 

 like human vulgarians, that he knows more folk than care 

 to know him. There is an object, as noted in the preced- 

 ing paragraph on Feeding, in his cultivating the company 

 of the Diving Ducks. Where a single individual of one 

 species, e.q., the Wigeon, is found with otliers, of another 

 species, the association is doubtless fortuitous, owing to 

 the singleton having been temporarily cut off from his 

 own kind. 



