SCIENCE OF THE WILDS, POETKY OF SPOKT. 177 



ill passing from that valley to another not yet 

 disturbed, fed the fowl as usual, observing that 

 all my immediate 2)ets, as far as I could disceni, 

 were safe. 



On the following day, when feeding the safety 

 pool, my eyes were oiieUj in case of a wounded 

 bird, when among the ^^ruck" of fowl, say about 

 two hundred in number, I observed three who, 

 though anxious to come to my foot, did not look 

 happy, and at the same time were much disinclined 

 to be pushed about in a scramble for the corn by 

 their fellows. Two of these were wild ducks with 

 broken wings only ; the third was a mallard with 

 a wing badly broken close to the body, and also 

 stricken in the breast by one or more shots. He 

 came at once to my hand, and there being no 

 chance of saving his life, I picked him ujo, feeling 

 like a culprit for doing so, as he had crejot to 

 my foot in confidence for foOd and comfort in his 

 distress. The other two ducks seemed only to 

 have broken wings, so they fed, and on the next 

 day were joined by a third wild duck, disabled 

 also in the wing. These three birds survived and 

 recovered of their wounds. 



I state this fact to show that even when joined 



VOL. II. N 



