THE WOOD DUCK. 



A great many people think 

 that this is the most beautiful 

 bird of North America. It is 

 called Wood Duck because it 

 usually makes its nest in the 

 hollow of a tree that overhangs 

 the water. If it can find a 

 squirrel's or woodpecker's hole 

 in some stump or tree, there it 

 is sure to nest. 



A gentleman who delighted in 

 watching the Wood Duck, tells 

 about one that built her nest in 

 the hollow of a tree that hung 

 over the water. He was anxious 

 to see how the little ones, when 

 hatched, would get down. 



In a few days he knew that 

 the ducklings were out, for he 

 could hear their pee, pee, pee. 

 They came to the edge of the 

 nest, one by one, and tumbled 

 out into the water. 



You know a duck can swim 

 as soon as it comes out of the 

 egg. 



Sometimes the nest is in the 

 hollow of a tree that is a short 

 distance from the water. 



Now how do you suppose the 

 ducklings get there as they do ? 



If the nest is not far from the 

 ground, the mother bird lets 

 them drop from it on the 

 dried grass and leaves under 

 the tree. She then carries them 

 in her bill, one by one, to the 

 water and back to the nest. 



If the nest should be far from 

 the ground, she carries them 

 down one by one. 



This same gentleman says 

 that he once saw a Wood Duck 

 carry down thirteen little ones 

 in less than ten minutes. She 

 took them in her bill by the 

 back of the neck or the wing. 



When they are a few days old 

 she needs only to lead the way 

 and the little ones will follow. 



The Wood Duck is also called 

 Summer Duck. This is because 

 it does not stay with us during 

 the winter, as most ducks do. 



It goes south to spend the 

 winter and comes back north 

 early in the spring. 



