78 Birds of Buzzard's Roost 



of shell cling to their backs, can clamber over the limbs of 

 trees and up any almost perpendicular surface, if at all rough. 

 * * * Two years later I found another duck's nest. In this 

 instance the nest was fully fifty feet above the water, in a 

 tangled mass of twigs and grape vine, on a large button-wood 

 that grew from the water's edge and towered nearly one hun- 

 dred feet above the creek. On the third day I was rewarded 

 for my persistence, for on taking my position in the neighbor- 

 ing tree, I saw that some of the young had disappeared, and 

 I felt sure the others would follow soon, unless, indeed, their 

 fellows had fallen from the nest. This proved not to have 

 been the case, for, in the course of an hour, the old duck made 

 her appearance, and now I fairly held my breath as I watched 

 her with my glass. After a moment's rest she squatted 

 closely down on the nest, and a duckling quickly climbed 

 upon her back and nestled closely between her shoulders. 

 The old bird then walked slowly to the very edge of an over- 

 hanging limb and with outspread wings, with a slow flapping 

 motion of them, let herself down, rather than flew, to the 

 water. The moment she touched the surface of the stream 

 she dived, and left the duckling swimming on the water, and 

 to all appearances perfectly at home. This was repeated four 

 times, when the tender brood were all safely afloat, and as 

 quick to scent danger and flee from it as was their mother." 

 Ducks do not sing; some of them quack. The common 

 note of the drake of the wood duck is "peet, peet ;" but when 

 standing sentinel, if he sees danger his note is changed to 

 "oe eek; oe eek!", and the response of the young is a soft 

 mellow "pee, pee, pee-e," which is uttered rapidly, and at 

 repeated intervals. Mr. Butler in his Birds of Indiana, 

 says, "As the broods hatch they are led to the more re- 

 tired waters and taught all that is necessary to know about 

 feeding, diving and flying, together with all the necessary ac- 

 complishments. When they are deemed ready to care for 

 themselves, they come out upon the more open stream." The 

 flight of this duck is swift and graceful, and it rivals the grouse 

 and quail in the ease and facility with which it glides through 

 the woods among the branches. Its food consists of insects, 

 the seeds and leaves of aquatic plants, and beechnuts and 



