370 THE DUCK. 



In Derbyshire, a gentleman's gamekeeper observed a 

 Wild-Duck fly out of a large oak, in which the year pre- 

 ceding had been a Hawk's nest. On examination, she was 

 found to have laid two eggs in the old nest, completely 

 repaired. 



Another instance occurred at Madeley, in Staffordshire. 

 In this case, the Wild- Duck took possession of a Rook's nest 

 at the top of an oak-tree. The Drake was also seen to perch 

 on a bough near her, and occasionally in her absence sat 

 on the nest. 



This is not a solitary instance of birds usually building on 

 the ground, giving an accidental preference to another and 

 apparently unnatural situation. At Caistor, in Norfolk, a 

 Bantam Hen was observed to fly into the branches of a 

 spruce-fir, and take possession of a Wood- Pigeon's nest, 

 about fourteen feet from the ground ; there she laid five 

 eggs, and no doubt would have hatched her brood, had 

 not the nest been unfortunately destroyed ; neither would 

 there have been any danger to the young ones, as it is a 

 well-known fact, that chickens, soon after they are hatched, 

 may fall from a height of several feet without sustaining 

 any injury. 



In the preserves of the Zoological Gardens, in the Regent's 

 Park, London, we saw the nest of a Wild- Duck on the roof 

 of a thatched cottage by the water -side. The keeper was 

 ordered to keep a good look-out, in order to see how the 

 young ones would contrive to reach the ground ; but they 

 eluded his watchfulness by disappearing one morning, when 

 he and his family were absent at church. It is, indeed, 

 difficult to account for the exceptions to the accustomed 

 habits of Wild-Ducks: we should suppose, that naturally 

 they would prefer a convenient spot close to the water, and 

 in such places their nests are usually built. Once, indeed, to 

 our surprise, a nest was found in a patch of high grass, 

 within a few feet of the spot where a boat was drawn up ; 

 and either so closely had the Duck sat, or so cleverly had 

 she timed her visits to and fro, that it was not till after 



