THE WILD DUCK. 355 



they often build at considerable distances from the waters 

 intended to be the permanent nursery for their brood. About 

 a mile above this very sheet of water on which the boat was 

 repairing, there is a hill covered with heather, fern, and planta- 

 tions ; and more than once at early dawn, about four o'clock, 

 in June, broods of little dark Wild Ducklings, just hatched, 

 have been seen trotting down the road, leading from the hill 

 to the water; and once we were surprised, on a summer's 

 morning, at seeing about a dozen of these active little nest- 

 lings running before our door : so rapid were their motions, 

 that, notwithstanding every exertion, they contrived to elude 

 observation, till they were tracked in the grass to a small pit, 

 about two hundred yards off, in a meadow. 



They no doubt had been making for the mere, or larger 

 sheet of water, from the spot above mentioned, but had lost 

 their way. There is one species, however, which, in prefer- 

 ence to trees or flat ground, selects a very unaccountable accom- 

 modation, namely, a rabbit-hole. This is the Sheldrake — a 

 bird by no means uncommon on many parts of our coasts. 

 She selects, if possible, a burrow near the water, in which are 

 laid sometimes sixteen eggs, which she carefully covers with 

 the down of her body. The eggs may also be easily reared 

 under hens, and the young ones may be kept in ponds. We 

 have known several thus domesticated; but although many 

 other species of Wild Duck, under similar confinement, bred 

 regularly, the Sheldrake never was observed to take any steps 

 in preparing a nest. 



In a nobleman's menagerie, we have heard, however, that 

 they were induced to do so by simply burrowing holes about 

 three or four feet deep, like rabbit-holes, in the bank, a foot 

 or two above the water. The bird thus found her accustomed 

 accommodation, and lost no time in availing herself of it. 

 Ducks, too, like Geese, have a strong sense of affection ; we 

 cannot, indeed, produce instances so striking or so interesting 

 as those related of the latter, but the two following instances 

 show a similar tendency towards animal, as well as human 

 beings. 



A clergyman had a very fierce and noisy house-dog, within 



