ITS AVERSION TO WATER. 3 il 



as with men, on tlie way in which they are reared. 

 "At the Estate of Vissho, in the province of Nerike," 

 says, the President M. af Ptobson, " several duck-eggs, 

 together with some of her own, were placed under a 

 white hen, and in due time a single duckling, a male, 

 as it proved, was produced. He was reared in all 

 amity with his foster-brothers and sisters and never at- 

 temjited to accompany the other ducklings, of which 

 there were more than one brood on the premises, that 

 several times a day descended the hill near the house to 

 the lake below, but constantly remained with the hens. 

 He grew rapidly, became very fat, and at length could 

 fly. For amusement, he was often tlirown into the lake, 

 hut always made the best of his way to land, quacking 

 loudly in the while, as if he had an aversion to the water, 

 and forthwith waddled back to the hens. If when cast 

 from the bridge it was to a height sufficient to spread his 

 Avings propex'ly, he would take a pretty long sweep, 

 wliereby he was enabled to surmount the hill, when he 

 flew directly into the poultry-yard. It was his daily 

 practice cunningly to lead the hens to the confines of a 

 grass-plot, or other small declivity, that he might pair 

 with them,* and although he never succeeded in his 

 attempts, they gave rise to all manner of curious scenes. 

 He was not charged, however, with making love to his 

 foster-mother, the old white hen, Avhom he followed 

 everywhere, more especially to places where food was 

 obtainable ; and it was believed that the aff'ection he 



* Naturalists lay no little stress on the pairing of biixls tliat are looked 

 on as of different species ; but to me ,it seuniy that too much is made of this 

 matter. Even in a state of nature, strange misalliances are not so very 

 uncommon, and when a bii-d is ii^ confinement "everything is game that 

 comes to his' net." In one iustance, as mentioned, a Capercali cock has 

 been known to have a numerous family with a Turkey hen, and in 

 another to make a desperate attempt to pair with a goose. 



