236 ANIMALS AT WORK AND PLA Y 



park afforded complete and permanent sanctuary to 

 most of the larger species of English birds, with the 

 exception of a few which do not care for woodland 

 or inland districts, and to many, including a colony 

 of cormorants, which are only occasional visitors to 

 other inland waters. The gathering of fowl was 

 retarded for some time because he shot the widgeon, 

 not believing that these birds, which he knew were 

 only winter visitors, would be likely to remember 

 the hospitality offered, and to requite it by a second 

 visit. When he discovered his mistake, and the use 

 of the gun was interdicted, the widgeon not only 

 came in numbers, but remained both by night and 

 day, feeding on the grass of the park like geese. 

 On one occasion he counted sixteen hundred and 

 forty wild duck on his lake, besides a flock of 

 Canada geese, which came from a distance and 

 enrolled themselves as part of its regular population. 

 Though occasionally fired at when ' out of bounds/ 

 they seldom lost any of their number. Wild fowl, 

 unlike game, gain almost complete immunity from 

 this source of danger by confining their journeys to 

 the hours of dusk and dawn, and their preservers 

 have little to fear from human prowlers round the 

 fold. Waterton's worst enemy was a fox, which 

 climbed his 9 ft. wall by the aid of a pole left leaning 

 against it. Rats and rabbits were the only other 



