122 UPLAND SHOOTING. 



I think they use the same breeding-grounds year after 

 year, unless they are very much disturbed. 



Wild ducks make their nests on the musk-rat houses, 

 or in the grass not far from the small sloughs, and, in a 

 country where they are not disturbed, build their nests 

 oftentimes quite close together. 



The female lays from ten to fifteen eggs, and when 

 the ducks are not disturbed, every egg is sure to hatch. 

 As soon as the young ducks are out of the eggs, the 

 mother takes them to the water, and in about ten weeks 

 they are able to fly a little. 



After the wild ducks reach their breeding-grounds, 

 they are very tame, and care but little for man. They 

 seem to know that any man that is a man will not 

 trouble them when breeding. Many times I have passed 

 within six feet of a mallard-duck on her nest, and she 

 would not move. 



The mallard is generally first of the wild ducks to 

 bring forth its young. The time, in most seasons, is about 

 the middle of May. I do not think that the young mal- 

 lard-ducks, teal, broad-bills, gray ducks, and pin-tails 

 develop as quickly as the young deep-water ducks, 

 such as the sheldrake, blue-bills, red-heads, canvas- 

 backs, scaup-ducks, butter-balls, golden-eyes, and ruddy- 

 ducks, all of which go north to breed. 



The food of the mallards consists of young grass and 

 roots, except in the fall and spring, when they are in 

 the neighborhood of corn or grain fields, and when the 

 wild rice is ripe, and falls on the water. They are very 

 fond of wild rice, and I am satisfied that all wild ducks 

 will go long distances to find a rice-pond. 



As soon as the young mallards can fly well, the old 

 birds take them to the rice-ponds in the North, where 

 they remain till they commence their flight south. The 

 habits of all the shoal-water ducks are much the same as 



