THE MALLARD* 199 



quest of food, though once or twice, in moist and 

 heavy weather, .1 have seen them waddle through 

 the pasture ; but I marked the fact down as one of 

 rare occurrence. When undisturbed, they are seen 

 to pass much of their time asleep on the ground. 

 At intervals they will take to the water ; and while 

 some float on it, with the head reclined on the 

 shoulder, others will sport and dive into the deep, and 

 then return to land, and there arrange and preen their 

 feathers, though not with oil from the gland on the 

 rump, as is generally supposed. At the close of 

 day they become exceedingly vociferous, the voice 

 of the female being much louder and more frequent 

 than that of the male ; a circumstance too notorious 

 in the human species. After this uproar of tongues 

 has continued for a certain time, they rise on rapid 

 wing in detached flocks, and, to a bird, they go away 

 for the night. At early dawn they return in com- 

 panies, consisting of fifteen or twenty birds, and 

 stay here, to pass the day in peace and quiet. When 

 the water is frozen over, they sometimes huddle to- 

 gether on the ice, and at other times collect in one 

 large flock in the adjacent pasture. Every now and 

 then a peregrine falcon makes his appearance, and 

 perches on a neighbouring sycamore tree. We know 

 of his approach by the singular agitation which takes 

 place amongst the ducks ; they shake their wings 

 with a tremulous noise, and get into a compact 

 group, After this they all rise in the air ; and then 

 you may see the falcon dash at an outside duck with 

 an almost inconceivable velocity. 

 o 4 



