282 FACT AGAINST FICTION. 



many reasons, the beautiful, the living world of 

 innocent and graceful things, demands greater care 

 not only from the legislature, but more abstinence 

 in man from his predatory habits, — protection at 

 the hands of man, instead of increased destruction. 



Late frosts, embittered by high cold winds, with 

 sleet, hail, and rain, not only destroy the eggs 

 when laid, but they absolutely stop the course of 

 successful incubation in the old birds, and they 

 cease for a time to produce eggs, or, at all events, 

 to lay them in the nests. 



As a proof of this, in cold springs the wild 

 ducks in my vicinity averaged no more than 

 from five to seven or eight eggs in a nest, 

 and at times not more than three. Not a young 

 wild duck hatched in March by its immediate 

 parents could endure the cold and live ; and 

 those that were under foster - mothers, to be 

 reared by hand at the coojds, with the coops and 

 mothers to shelter them, the back of the coops to 

 the wind, and constantly fed with the most nourish- 

 ing food, not even these young ducks could with- 

 stand the frost, wind, and wet. My keeper 

 and his men had to carry the coops to barns, 

 stables, and sheds, and even then some of the 



