WILD DUCK. 13 



the surface of the water to some distance, as if to court 

 pursuit, and then taking wing, the young having in the 

 meantime hidden themselves away. In frosty weather, flocks 

 of Ducks huddle together on the ice, or assemble together 

 on the open sea, or in some field near to their accustomed 

 haunt, prepared to notice, and to take advantage of, the first 

 symptom of change in the weather which sooner or later 

 must come. Vast numbers of these birds are taken every 

 year, and far greater numbers used to be taken in decoys, 

 'they being,' as Izaak Walton says of the Perch, 'like the 

 wicked of the world not afraid, though their fellows and 

 companions perish in their sight.' 



In its wild state the Mallard is monogamous, but the 

 domesticated male birds are polygamous. It need hardly be 

 mentioned that they, the former, to say nothing of the latter, 

 are excellent for the table. The young are called FJappers. 

 Sir William Jardine writes as follows: 'After the young 

 have received complete first plumage, the whole again begin 

 to congregate, and to frequent at the time of rest some 

 chosen piece of water or large morass, where they remain, 

 during the whole day, making excursions morning and evening 

 to various feeding-grounds. These differ according to the 

 season; a river, if near and at all secluded, is much frequented; 

 in autumn, the fields of grain are flocked to at dark, and 

 when the crop has been laid, are selected for a spot to 

 alight upon. Extensive holmes or valleys are much frequented, 

 particularly if water be in the vicinity, to which, for a 

 time, they can retire after feeding. As twilight approaches 

 they may be seen by the watcher, early in the night, coming 

 from the points where he knows the daily resting-places are 

 situate. They at first fly round in circles, gradually lowering 

 and surveying the ground around; but as the night advances, 

 they fly straight to the spot and alight at once. 



Many years since, when Wild Ducks were much more 

 abundant, we have shot them by watching among the ripe 

 grain. As the season advances, the stubble-fields are selected, 

 and more particularly if the ground is at all moist, or is 

 liable to be occasionally flooded, and the water continues 

 standing in the furrows; in these situations they are able 

 to find the grain, and by the sensibility of their bill-apparatus, 

 to separate it from the water and foreign substances. 



When winter ensues, and their resting-place is perhaps frozen, 

 they have to seek for water in the sorings and ditches which 



