WATER-FOWL IN LONDON 303 



touches the back of his tail, thus bringing into almost 

 ridiculous prominence his snowy breast, which he 

 thrusts under the eye of the seemingly indifferent 

 duck. Then the head comes back from its retreat, 

 and the neck is stretched upward to its extreme 

 height, only as a preparation for a renewed effort to 

 tuck it completely beyond the tail, and to bring the 

 last feather of the breast into view. 



There are many other equally interesting ducks to 

 be found in a morning walk through the parks. We 

 have said nothing of the widgeon, the teal, the 

 common pochard, the ruddy sheldrake, nor of any of 

 the geese that are usually represented. We are in- 

 clined to dip beyond the British list, in order to call 

 attention to the American summer duck, and its 

 congener, the mandarin from China. The latter is 

 assuredly the most brightly coloured and quaintly 

 decorated of all the drakes, and the fussy and gallant 

 way in which he marshals his mate about makes him 

 one of the darlings of the lake. He takes kindly to 

 our climate, and in many an English lake-centred 

 wood would make his nest and lead forth his duck- 

 lings to the water. So would he grace any farm 

 duck-pond, provided he were not placed in too close 

 proximity to boisterous neighbours, for he is ill adapted 

 for a rough-and-tumble life. With apologies to the 

 ducks, let us also mention the moorhen, whose amatory 

 battles now begin. They fly furiously after one 

 another, thrashing the water with their hanging feet, 

 or run hump-backed on the bank, neck stretched for- 

 ward and red beak menacing. But, best of all, is to 

 see two cocks that really mean business facing one 

 another on the water. When they are near enough, 



