ANSERES. ( 101 ) ANA TIDAL. 



THE MALLARD/ OR WILD DUCK. 



MIKE DUCK, MOSS DUCK, MUIR DUCK, GREY DUCK. 



Arias hoscas. 



High o'er the restless deep, above the reach 



Of gunner's hope, vast flights of Wild Duck stretch 



Far as the eye can glance on either side. 



In a broad space and level line they glide. 



All in the wedge-like flgures from the North, 



Day after day flight after flight go forth. 



Crabbh. 



In former times the Wild Duck was much more plentiful 

 in Berwickshire than it is at present, for agricultural 

 drainage ^ and improvements have removed nearly all the 

 bogs and morasses which it loved to haunt, amongst which 

 may be mentioned Billie Mire, where, until the early part 

 of this century, it was seen in hundreds. As few people 

 at the present day have any idea of the great alterations 

 which have taken place over the surface of the county since 

 the middle of last century, it is interesting to hear what 

 Mr. John Wilson says of its state about that time : " As 

 our grandfathers saw it," says that gentleman, " the whole 

 country, with the most trifling exceptions, was unenclosed, 



1 Both Mr. Howard Saunders, in vol. iv. of the revised and enlarged edition of 

 Yarrell's British Birds, p. 358, and Mr. Seebohm, in his British Birds, vol. iii. 

 p. 559, use Mallard as the English name of the Common Wild Duck. It is derived 

 from the French word " Malart," which signifies the male of the Wild Duck. 



2 Writing in 1842, under dates July 2nd and 9th, Mr. Hardy says: "On a 

 visit to west of Berwickshire and Lauderdale, the Wild Duck is beconung rarer 

 and rarer on account of drainage." — MS. Notes. 



