Domestic Animals 149 



This proved such a favorite that they often drama- 

 tized it, as well as one in the Jenks book: 



" There they go in the water clear, 

 One, two, three, four, five, I declare," 



One morning Miss Clare told them of the wild 

 ducks that go south in such flocks in the autumn. 



"There are many varieties," she said, "of different 

 sizes and various colors. See if you can find out 

 about any of them at home." 



The next day Tom told about the "wood duck." 

 He said: "They nearly-always go in pairs, and they 

 build their nests in the woods, sometimes on the 

 ground, but often in a hollow tree. Papa found a 

 nest once in an old tree stump with thirteen eggs in 

 it. They were covered over with soft down that the 

 mother bird had pulled from her breast to keep 

 them warm. Later, when they were hatched, he 

 said he supposed the mother duck took them in her 

 bill and carried them down to the ground, one by 

 one, and led them off for a swim, for that is the 

 way wood ducks do. 



"They like seeds, acorns, oats, other grain, and 



