Duck-shooting 1 1 1 



breeding on the Yukon, speaks of their habits 

 at this time as interesting and peculiar. " The 

 duck rises to a great height after the manner of 

 a snipe, and setting the wings descends with a 

 rush, causing a roaring noise which is heard at 

 considerable distance." The nest is placed on 

 low, dry ground, a short distance from water, 

 under the shelter of bushes. It is a mere de- 

 pression, lined with down and feathers. The 

 duck lays from six to ten eggs. On the prairies 

 of Dakota, Montana, and Manitoba the pintail 

 occupy the same marshes as the mallards for 

 their nesting, but the birds do not associate. 

 The duck is a close sitter, and loath to leave her 

 eggs. During early incubation the male is some- 

 times seen in the vicinity, but later leaves to 

 moult, and during this period assumes a brown 

 plumage not unlike the female, but darker, distin- 

 guishable by the tail feathers and the brighter 

 speculum of its wing. The young are hatched 

 early in July, and able to fly in September, when 

 fledged frequenting the larger ponds in company 

 with numbers of other ducks. If disturbed, they 

 are among the first birds to take flight, springing 

 into the air, coming over the pass with a speed 

 that makes them the easiest of birds to miss. 



In October we see the first evidences of the 

 winter plumage. The males now are in full 

 dress, with the exception of their long tail 



