368 THE LIFE OF A BIRD. 



near the large pond in Richmond Park, used to 

 bring their young safely to the water. It had 

 been imagined that they used to do this with 

 their bills : but this explanation did not satisfy 

 Mr. Jesse ; and the following anecdote seemed to 

 point out the more probable manner in which it 

 was effected : A gentleman has some high trees 

 near a pond at his residence in North Wales, at 

 the top of which several pairs of wild ducks breed 

 every year, and convey their young safely to the 

 ground. They have been frequently watched 

 while they have been performing this operation. 

 In every instance one of the wings of the duck 

 appeared to be closed, while she flapped rapidly 

 with the other, evidently for the purpose of break- 

 ing her fall. She always alighted near the foot of 

 the tree, thus descending nearly perpendicularly. 

 When one duck was safely landed, she went for 

 another ; and when they were all brought down, 

 she led them to the water. This fact would seem 

 to show that the young are not conveyed from 

 high situations in the mouth of the parent bird, as 

 has been generally supposed, but under the wing. 

 Mr. Jesse adds, "I have heard also of a wild 

 duck which built its nest for several years in the 



