THE DUCK. 369 



down, and attend them when feeding : these old birds are so 

 well trained, that at the given signal in the evening, they 

 return in the utmost haste with their young hroods. This 

 signal is a whistle, on the sound of which the whole flock 

 sets itself in motion, waddling in regular order towards their 

 boat. The first Duck that enters is rewarded with some 

 favourite food ; the last is whipped as an idler : so that it is 

 a comical sight to see the last birds, as if knowing what will 

 happen to the last of all, making efforts to fly over the 

 backs of others, and get on board the boat in time to escape 

 punishment. 



We should be surprised to see our domestic Ducks perch 

 amongst the branches of trees, adjacent to their roosting- 

 places, and there pass the night; but though this seems 

 impracticable for our species, there are, nevertheless, many 

 others of the wild sort, that not only roost perching, but 

 rear their young in trees. Captain Cook was surprised to 

 find the Whistling- Ducks doing so, near Endeavour River, 

 in New Holland ; and in various parts of the world similar 

 nests are found in these unexpected situations. 



In America, the Anas sponsa, or Summer-Duck, builds 

 in the hollows of trees, at a considerable height from the 

 ground, from which the young ones, soon after they are 

 hatched, descend and make the best of their way to the 

 water. The Wood-Ducks, also an American species, are 

 continually to be seen, during the breeding season, flying 

 between the upper parts of the Mississippi and the woods 

 where they build. Our common Wild-Duck, in a similar 

 mariner (though, according to the general habit of those 

 birds whose young leave the nest as soon as hatched, she 

 generally deposits her eggs upon the ground), at times 

 departs from this practice, and follows the example of the 

 above foreign species. 



In Sussex, a nest was found in an oak-tree, five-and- 

 twenty feet from the ground; the old bird was sitting 

 upon nine eggs, supported by some small twigs, laid 

 crossways. 



B B 



