( 35i \ 



CHAPTER XVII. 



Duck Tribe. — Management of. — Chinese Mode. — Wild Ducks building 

 in Trees. — Affection of. — Eider Ducks. — How Caught. — Duck 

 Shooters. — Danger attending Decoys. 



It would lead us far beyond our limits to notice all the Duck 

 Tribes, which are third on the generic list of this division ; a 

 few particulars must suffice. Much that has been said upon 

 the treatment of Geese applies equally to Ducks, which, under 

 judicious management, might be made a source of great profit 

 to the cottager ; and we are assured, on the authority of a 

 practical rural economist, that water is by no means indis- 

 pensable ; so far from it, indeed, that, instead of being 

 absolutely necessary, it is often injurious to the young, and 

 that, in fact, they should never be suffered to swim till more 

 than a month old ; that, instead of allowing young Ducks to 

 go out in the morning to eat slugs and worms, they should be 

 kept up, since this food, notwithstanding their partiality for it, 

 is injurious ; and that grass, corn, white cabbages, and lettuces, 

 cut when half ripe, and flung down in the haulm or stalk, will 

 make the finest Ducks for the market and the table. When 

 young, they should be fed upon barley-meal, or curds, and kept 

 in a warm place in the night-time. 



By attention and care, much more, we are persuaded, may 

 be done in the general management, as well as improvement 

 of our domestic birds. We have been assured, for example, 

 that the people in some parts of Buckinghamshire derive con- 

 siderable profit from their peculiar skill in breeding and rear- 

 ing Ducks. They contrive to reverse the order of nature, and 

 by a restriction of food, or other means, prevent them from 

 laying till October or November. Some weeks before the 

 time they wish them to lay, they feed them with stimulating 

 food ; and when the eggs are ready, they are put under a hen. 



