154 OUR DOMESTIC FOWLS. 



and southward migrations, the former talcing 

 place on the early breaking up of winter, when, 

 tlicy revisit their old breeding haunts, the 

 latter in autumn, when the cold of the north- 

 ern regions commences. In temperate lati- 

 tudes, however, like our island,many home-bred 

 water-fowl not only remain during the winter, 

 but are joined by northern visitors. During 

 flight, they assume a definite order, proceeding 

 either in single file, or in the form of a triangle, 

 the leader occasionally changing places with 

 others. Even when traversing the ground 

 they observe a degree of order in the line of 

 their march. 



Most species incubate on the ground, but 

 some in the holes of trees or on the broad flat 

 top of large old pollards, and in situations of a 

 similar character. Under these circumstances 

 the parents convey the young to the water in 

 their beak. The summer, or wood duck, of 

 America, (anas sponsa,) pursues this singular 

 plan ; and even the common wild duck occa- 

 sionally. Certain species, as the anas arbo?'ea, 

 not only nestle but habitually perch in trees. 



The Domestic Duck. — This species belongs 

 to the genus a?ias as restricted by modern 

 naturalists, the male being characterised (at 



