The True Ducks. 259 



The Wild Duck has a very extensive 

 distribution in the Northern Hemisphere, 

 being found everywhere, according to 

 season, from the Arctic Circle down to the 

 Tropic of Cancer. Most of these Ducks 

 no doubt go far north to breed, but where 

 the conditions are favourable it is often a 

 permanent resident even far south, as in 

 Kashmir for instance. 



The Mallard arrives in the northern 

 parts of the plains of India about the 

 middle of October and leaves again by 

 the end of March or at latest by the 

 middle of April. In the eastern part of 

 the Empire it appears to be met with only 

 during the coldest months, from December 

 to February. Near the base of the 

 Himalayas, birds of this species have been 

 procured in July and August, and their 

 breeding-quarters were probably close by. 



The habits of the Wild Duck can be 

 best described by a series of extracts from 

 the writings of experienced observers who 

 have had ample opportunities for studying 

 this bird. And, first, as regards the species 

 in India, I shall quote from Messrs. 

 Hume and Marshall's " Game-birds " : — 



" In India, even in far north-west and 

 in Sindh, where many hundreds may be 

 met with in a day, the Mallard is rarely 



