THE WILD DUCK. 167 



me, a wild duck hatched out in a pollard willow 

 tree, near Keswick Mill, in 1888 ; and Mr. Norgate, on 

 20th April, 1884, u saw a wild duck fly off its downy nest 

 of ten eggs on the top of the trunk of a pollard willow 

 ten feet from the ground." 



The wild duck is a very early breeder, but the date 

 of nesting varies considerably. Lord Lilford records a 

 duck's nest with eggs, I think at Lilford, on the 26th 

 February, 1885. I have known them on the 16th 

 March with a full complement of eggs, and others on 

 17th March (fourteen eggs), 6th April (eighteen eggs). 



Mr. F. Norgate ha,s also kindly favoured me with the 

 following dates of wild ducks' nests found by himself in 

 various parts of the county : April 2nd, twelve eggs ; 

 April 9th, five eggs ; April 9th or 10th, eleven eggs, sat 

 on ; April 15th, nine eggs; April 20th, ten eggs; April 

 21st, already hatched off; same date, one with eleven 

 eggs ; and on the same day (but not the same year), 

 another with eleven ; April 30th, thirteen eggs ; May 

 14th, eleven eggs; May 28th (young) ; June 14th, twelve 

 eggs. Mr. Norgate has also seen wild ducks which had 

 paired, and probably chosen their nesting-place, on the 

 8th, 21st. and 28th February. Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun., has 

 given me notes of young ducks at Hempstead, hatched 

 on 7th April, others seen on 10th, and young birds seen 

 in the water on the 28th of the same month. It is 

 evident from these dates that many ducks must have 

 paired and chosen their nesting-places in February, and, 

 probably, had eggs in the middle of March. 



This is a matter of considerable importance, as it 

 should of course be the chief guide in fixing the date 

 on which the close time ought to commence. The 1st 

 of March, as at present arranged, does not appear at all 

 too early for this species, for it must be borne in mind 

 that many migrating wild ducks are passing north- 

 ward after our home birds have settled their domestic 

 arrangements and commenced housekeeping, and as it 

 is impossible to distinguish between home birds and 

 migrants, we must either be content to allow these 

 migratory birds to pass unmolested, or, in bringing 

 them to bag, we shall drive away the resident birds, 

 with the result that there will be no flapper shooting in 

 the autumn. 



