188 DUCKS. 



may be able to kill him. The large divers are most 

 savage birds, and will, if wounded and driven to ex- 

 tremity, attack either man, dog, or boat. To kill 

 divers along shore, peep over the banks in windy 

 weather, when they are not so apt to duck the flash. 

 Suffice it to say, that of those birds, which are 

 literally and properly called divers, there are seven 

 kinds to be found in Great Britain, exclusive of six 

 others, which are separately classed as the Genus 

 Mergus. 



DUCKS. 



Including all the various kinds of wild fowl, which 

 are common in, and occasionally migrate to this 

 country, there are sixteen, which come under the 

 denomination of ducks. 



* BIMACULATED, or CLUCKING DUCK. Anas glociians 

 French not given. 



BLACK DUCK, or SCOTER. Anas nigra La macreuse. 



BURROUGH DUCK, or SHELDRAKE. Anas tadorna La 

 tadorne. 



The young sheldrakes, directly after being hatched 

 in the rabbit burrows, are taken by the parent birds 

 to the sea, where they may be seen in what the boat- 

 men call troops of from thirty to forty ; but, as the 

 female seldom hatches more than fourteen eggs, it 

 is clear, that each flock is formed by two or three 

 broods. On their being approached, the old ones fly 



