106 



THE MALLARD. 



Now wand'ring by the river's winding side 

 Its mazy course we trace, explore each creek, 

 Islet, or shelter'd cave, the Wild Fowl's haunts. 



Rev. John Vincent, Fowling. 



Several places in Berwickshire appear to have derived 

 their names from the Wild Duck, amongst which may be 

 mentioned Drakestruther, in Lauder parish ; Drake Mire, a 

 tract of marshy ground to the north of the Dog Bush Plan- 

 tation, in Buncle parish ; Wild Duck Ha', the old name of 

 a place in Swinton parish, which, Mr. Hardy says, lay by 

 the side of a moss near the Leet, where boys of a generation 

 back used to gather Wild Ducks' eggs ; and the Duck Ponds 

 on the top of the moor at the highest point of the Black 

 Hill above Dye Cottage, in Longformacus parish.^ 



A popular saying sometimes heard in the county is that 

 " Ducks and Geese drown at the wing." ^ 



1 Colonel Brown of Longformacus gave me this information. 



2 This has probably arisen from the fact that when a Duck or Goose is wounded 

 in the wing while on the water, the feathers of the wounded wing get wet imme- 

 diately, the bird having apparently lost the power of keeping them in such a 

 position as to resist the action of the water. 



