DUCK IN GENERAL AND IN PARTICULAR 



THERE are two clearly divided orders of the duck 

 family the one composed of those birds which dive 

 for their food, and the other of those which find their 

 food on or just beneath the surface. As the principal 

 sustenance of the diving duck lies well beneath the 

 surface, they have been compelled to adopt the habit 

 of entirely immerging the body in order to obtain it, 

 and they remain a considerable time under water. 

 When surface-feeding duck search for food beneath 

 the surface they do not immerge the body to a greater 

 extent than that adopted by ducks on a farm-yard 

 pond. As a general rule, diving duck feed during 

 the hours of daylight, and rest by night ; while surface- 

 feeding duck feed between dusk and dawn, and rest 

 during the day. 



Any description of plumage which may appear in 

 the following pages must be taken to apply only to 



