WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS 



to build her nest in; for instance, on. a cleft of a rock, where 

 you would rather expect to find a pigeon or jackdaw build- 

 ing, and I once, when fishing in a quiet brook in England, 

 saw a wild duck fly out of an old pollard oak-tree. My curi- 

 osity being excited by seeing the bird in so unusual a place, 

 I examined the tree, and found that she had a nest built of 

 sticks and grass, containing six eggs, placed at the junction 

 of the branches and the main stem. I do not know how she 

 would have managed to get her young ones safely out of it 

 whenhatched,for on carefully measuringtheheight, I found 

 that the nest was exactly fifteen feet from the ground. 



As soon as hatched, the young ones take to the water, 

 and it is very amusing to see the activity and quickness 

 which the little fellows display in catching insects and flies 

 as they skim along the surface of the water, led on by the 

 parent bird, who takes the greatest care of them, bustling 

 aboutwith all thehurry and importance of abarn-yard hen. 

 Presently she gives a low warning quack, as a hawk or 

 carrioncrowpasses in a suspicious manner over them. One 

 cry is enough, away all the little ones dart into the rushes, 

 screaming and fluttering, while the old bird, with head flat 

 on the water and upturned eye, slowly follows them, but 

 not until she sees them all out of danger. After a short time, 

 if the enemy has disappeared, the old bird peers cautiously 

 from her covert, and if she makes up her mind that all is 

 safe, she calls forth her offspring again, to feed and sport 

 in the open water. 



The young birds do not fly till they are quite full grown. 

 I have observed that, as soon as ever the inner side of the 

 wing is fully clothed, they take to flying; their bones, which 



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