1 68 LIVING CREATURES. 



to the body far back toward the tail, like the paddle- 

 wheels of a steamboat. The duck's food is largely in 

 the shallow, muddy bottom. Its bill is rather flat and 

 broad, and on the inside is furnished with plates like 

 strainers, by which the food is retained, and the mud 

 and water are strained out, and run away. 



The duck finds in the water a protection from dan- 

 ger both for itself and for its young. It can swim 

 swiftly away from enemies that might catch it on shore, 

 and when surprised by the sportsman, it can dive and 

 move for some distance under the surface. The duck- 

 lings are covered with down, and can swim and dive as 

 soon as they are hatched, so that they, too, find a com- 

 paratively safe home in the water. 



PART 2. 



THE canvas-back, the mallard, and the fat little teal 

 are the ducks chiefly sought by the sportsman. The 

 tame Rouen duck isjeally a mallard, and the drake 

 may be known by the green head, white ring about 

 the neck, glossy, black back, and silver-gray under- 

 feathers. 



The wild duck is cunning. . It often dives,, and re- 

 mains out of sight, leaving the spectator to wonder 

 where it can. be. But the sportsman has found that, 

 having swum to shallow water, the bird will lie with 

 its bill and nostrils out of water until danger is over. 



The nest of the duck is made under a bush not far 

 from the water. In twenty-eight days the nine or 

 eleven eggs hatch. The mother-bird plucks the feath- 

 ers from her breast, to cover her eggs. From this 



