SUMMER BIRDS 159 



species to incubate. The female sits close for some 

 eight-and-twenty days, while her mate plays the 

 part of a well-dressed loafer, airing his fine plumage 

 in the spring sunshine with others of his own 

 sex, and paying no attention to his offspring when 

 hatched, though the duck is one of the best of 

 mothers. It is a pretty sight to watch her in some 

 shallow bay, floating quietly with that look of 

 ineffable content which all the duck tribe have more 

 or less, while the young brood dart around in all 

 directions after flies. Often, during May and June, 

 the angler, stalking a rising trout, is baulked by a 

 mother duck, scrambling, a pretended cripple at his 

 feet, and splashing away right over his chosen cast, 

 while the ducklings quickly thread their way to 

 safety among the flags. But from mid- June the 

 mallard may be seen no more till autumn. His 

 beautiful green head and neck are disfigured, partially 

 by a special summer moult extending to nearly all 

 parts of the body and impairing or actually suspend- 

 ing his power of flight, and partially by discoloura- 

 tion of the old feathers. Henceforward, indistin- 

 guishable in plumage from the duck, he will skulk 

 about in secret places till, early in October, the 

 autumn moult begins to restore his beauty and 



