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CHAPTER XVII. 



Duck Tribe Management of Chinese Mode. Wild- Ducks 

 building in Trees Affection of. Eider Ducks How Caught. 

 Duck Shooters. Danger attending Decoys. 



TT would lead us far beyond our limits to notice all the 

 Duck tribes, which are third on the generic list of this 

 division ; a few particulars must suffice. Much that has 

 been said upon the treatment of Geese applies equally to 

 Ducks, which, under judicious management, might be made 

 a source of great profit to the cottager ; and we are assured, 

 on the authority of a practical rural economist, that water is 

 by no means indispensable; so far from it, indeed, that, 

 instead of being absolutely necessary, it is often injurious to 

 the young, and that, in fact, they should never be suffered 

 to swim till more than a month old; that, instead of 

 allowing young Ducks to go out in the morning to eat 

 slugs and worms, they should be kept up, since this food, 

 notwithstanding their partiality for it, is injurious; and 

 that grass, corn, white cabbages, and lettuces, cut when half 

 ripe, and flung down in the haulm or stalk, will make the 

 finest Ducks for the market and the table. When young, 

 they should be fed upon barley-meal, or curds, and kept in 

 a warm place in the night-time. 



By attention and care, much more, we are persuaded, 

 may be done in the general management, as well as im- 

 provement of our domestic birds. We have been assured, 

 for example, that the people in some parts of Buckingham- 

 shire derive considerable profit from their peculiar skill in 

 breeding and rearing Ducks. They contrive to reverse the 

 order of nature, and by a restriction of food, or other means, 

 prevent them from laying till October or November. Some 

 weeks before the time they wish them to lay, they feed 



