THE DUCK 105 



leads her family to the neighboring pond, or the 

 ducklings find their way thither unaided if they have 

 a hen for a nurse. I have told you of the fright 

 of that adoptive mother when she sees her little ones 

 throw themselves joyously into the water, deaf to 

 her supplications. If the pond is not too deep, the 

 hen wades in till the water reaches half-way up her 

 legs, and runs along the edge, calling her dear brood. 

 In vain her courageous devotion, to no purpose her 

 anxiety and grief : the ducklings gain the deep water 

 whither she cannot follow them, and, heedless of 

 the mother admonishing them from the shore, they 

 wag their little pointed tails with joy. 



"Like the pig, the duck will eat anything and 

 everything. In still waters, in which it delights, 

 it snaps up tadpoles and little frogs, worms of all 

 kinds and soft shell-fish, water insects and little 

 minnows. In the field it eats the tender herbage 

 and makes prey of the slimy slug and even the snail, 

 no whit abashed by the latter 's shell. In the 

 poultry-yard offer it the kitchen leavings, parings of 

 all kinds, garden refuse, dish-water, and garbage, 

 and the glutton will feast royally. 



"Thus because of its voracity the duck is easy 

 to fatten; provided it has abundant food and a 

 chance to play in the water, you may be sure it will 

 take on fat without any other care. Nevertheless, 

 in order to obtain certain results it is necessary to 

 go beyond the bird's natural gluttony and have re- 

 course to forcible feeding. For a couple of weeks 

 ducks are shut up in a dark place. Morning and 



