228 BIRDS OF MIDDLESEX. 



Ducks always fly with the head and neck stretched 

 out in a line with their bodies, and may be distin- 

 guished from Widgeon by the steadier and greater 

 regularity of their movements in the air, and, when 

 within range, the brown of the Duck's feathers may 

 be distinctly discerned. Ducks, when bent on long 

 flights, do not all move through the air at the same 

 altitude, but some much higher than others ; and 

 large flights generally seem to have a break in the 

 centre, and present a figure very much resembling 

 the outline of North and South America as it appears 

 on the map. When flying near the surface of land 

 or water they are often in a confused mass.* 



Occasionally I have found a pair of Wild Ducks 

 in a small quiet pond at a distance from any road, 

 and in autumn often come upon them in ditches, 

 where they resort to pick up acorns, of which they 

 seem very fond. At other times they feed upon the 

 seeds and leaves of aquatic plants, worms, snails, 

 and small shell-fish. 



In ' The Zoologist ' for 1860-64 (pp. 6922, 9049) will 

 be found a list of the wild fowl observed in winter 

 in the London waters. From this list it appears 

 that, exclusive of hybrids, no less than eight species 

 have been noticed viz., Gadwall, Widgeon, Teal, 

 Shoveller, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Ferruginous 

 Duck, and Golden Eye. The observer, Mr. Henry 



* Folkard's ' Wild Fowler,' p. 113. 



