8 



If not, one would suppose they would stray to other places, and, 

 from their immunity from danger at home, be easily killed. 

 Audabon mentions that in America, this species may be readily 

 tamed, and that it will breed in confinement, and is capable of 

 being made useful to man. The supposition that the Gadwall was 

 ever common in England is negatived by Col. Montagu, who 

 states : " During the many years we have attended to the subject 

 of ornithology, we have never been able to procure a fresh speci- 

 men of this duck. 



From Mr. Lubbock's account, it would appear that the Pochard's 

 breeding in Norfolk was not at all a common occurrence, as he 

 specially mentions the young being met with in a single instance ; 

 and, though Col. Montagu kept these birds alive, he does not 

 mention their breeding here. Near here I have seen them in 

 large flocks (sometimes all males), and with tufted ducks in the 

 middle of March, and still in flocks till the middle of April, which 

 would appear to be the time for most of the ducks going north to 

 breed. 



I have seen the long-tailed duck remain here at sea till some 

 of the males have acquired their singular complete summer plum- 

 age, and the Golden-eye, mature birds, apparently resting on 

 passage till the middle of April ; but no one would suggest they 

 bred here in consequence, the former going far north, and the 

 latter to Norway and Lapland. When we see the Golden-eye 

 here in spring, it is generally on open sheets of water, whereas it 

 has been ascertained to breed in hollow trees, and I should think 

 it extremely unlikely it would breed where there are none. 



It seems probable that the Golden-eyes do not breed the first 

 year after they are hatched, as, like the Mergansers, you see the 

 young males very far from having their fine plumage quite late in 

 spring. 



I cannot exactly see why the owner of land should not have 

 the exclusive right to the birds, and all their belongings on it, as 

 the owner of a lake, with a river running through it, has to the 

 fish in it : as I apprehend so long as they are in his lake they are 

 his, so might the birds be, so long as they are on his lands. 



With respect to observations taken from live wild birds when 



