THE DUCK FAMILY. 3 1 



twenty nest chambers, but in the latter case there are 

 usually two entrances. The birds, which, on account 

 of the protection extended to them through ages, are 

 quite tame, take very eagerly to the burrows. As soon 

 as the female has laid six eggs the egging commences, 

 and every one above that number is taken away, a sin- 

 gle bird often laying twenty or thirty eggs in a season. 

 The birds are so tame that, when the lid is opened, the 

 female still sits on the nest, not walking off into the 

 next room until touched by the egg-gatherer's hand. 

 When no more fresh eggs are found in the nest, the 

 down composing the latter is also collected, being in 

 quality nearly equal to eider down." 



The importance of the wildfowl to the natives of 

 northern climes has been indicated, and it is well known 

 that in the United States the killing of these birds on 

 their migrations and during their winter residence is a 

 matter of some commercial moment, giving employ- 

 ment to many men and requiring the investment of not 

 a little capital. Years ago, when the birds were far 

 more numerous than now, isolated posts of the Hud- 

 son's Bay Co. in Canada depended for support dur- 

 ing a part of the year on the geese that they killed dur- 

 ing the migrations and dried or smoked. Gunning for 

 the market occupies many men during the winter, and 

 the occasional great rewards received for a day's work 

 in the blind or the battery lead many to make a serious 

 business of it, though it is quite certain that, taking 

 the season through, the work will not pay ordinary day's 

 wages to the man who guns. Nevertheless, we knew 



