272 FARMING FOR LADIES, [chap, xiii. 



When the duck, herself, sits upon her eggs, 

 and the ducklings are hatched, they should be 

 kept in the house until ten days or a fort- 

 night old, or more, according to the weather, 

 and only allowed to go out for two or three 

 hours, about noontide, along with the mother, 

 upon some dry piece of sward, unconnected 

 with any water to which they might have 

 access ; for, although they may have a shal- 

 low pan to dabble in, they should not be 

 permitted to approach any pond or rivulet 

 until they acquire a warmer plumage than 

 the down with which they are covered, and 

 they should be guarded from rain and cold 

 in the most careful manner. The duck would 

 no doubt take her brood to the water — as 

 the wild duck does — as soon as they are 

 bom ; and theorists reason from this — " that 

 nature teaches her the duty of a mother, and, 

 as the species are the same, we should not 

 debar the tame duck from managing her 

 brood in the manner dictated to her by in- 

 stinct." We admit the justice of this re- 

 mark, and should not recommend any inter- 

 ference, were the birds not rendered delicate 

 by domestication ; but experienced breeders 



