THE TAME DUCK. 199 



and selecting by day, the most sunny corner to bask 

 and doze in. 



" Can a duck swim ?" is a pert question sometimes 

 asked with, little expectation of an answer in the neg- 

 ative. Here, however, is a duck, which, if it can 

 swim, performs that action in such a clumsy way as 

 hardly to deserve the name of swimming. Those who 

 expect that its singular appearance would render it a 

 curious, if not an elegant companion, among our more 

 attractive ducks will be disappointed ; for it will nev- 

 er go near the water, if it can help it, but will prefer 

 the farm yard, the precincts of the kitchen, or even 

 the piggery itself, to the clearest stream that ever 

 flowed. In fact, it hates water, except some dirty 

 puddle to drink and drabble in. When thrown into a 

 pond, it gets out again as fast as it can. It does, in- 

 deed, sometimes seem to enjoy an occasional bath, 

 and so does a sparrow or a Canary bird. Its very 

 short leg does not appear to be mechanically adapted 

 for the purpose of swimming. It waddles on the sur- 

 face of a pond as much as it does on dry land ; it is 

 evidently out of its place in either situation. Its pro- 

 per mode of locomotion is through the air ; its congenial 

 haunts are among the branches of trees. 



The female of the musk duck has considerable pow- 

 ers of flight, and is easy and self-possessed in the use 

 of its wings. It is fond of perching on the tops of 

 barns, walls, &c. Its feet appear by their form to be 

 more adapted to such purposes than those of most 

 other ducks. If allowed to spend the night in the 

 hen house, the female will generally go to roost by 

 the side of the hens, but the drake is too heavy to mount 

 thither with ease. His claws are sharp and long ; and 

 he approaches the tribe of " scratchers," (rasores, ) 

 in an un-scientific sense, being almost as dangerous to 

 handle incautiously as an ill-tempered cat ; and will 

 occasionally adopt a still more offensive and scarcely 

 describable means of annoyance. He manifests little 

 affection to his femab partner, and none towards her 



