The True Ducks. 



as is the female wild-duck ; and will often 

 foolishly waddle out on dry land, thus 

 affording an easy chance to the fowler. 

 The females, however, are gifted with far 

 greater powers of deception, and can dive 

 and hide well. They will creep slily to 

 the shore, and there lie motionless among 

 weeds or stones, till all but trodden under- 

 foot by the searcher. Shore shooters have 

 tried to convince me that the female wild- 

 duck, when wounded, will remain under 

 water, holding by the bill to aquatic plants 

 or seaweed till drowned. They cannot, 

 they say, otherwise account for losing 

 sight of their wounded birds, as they 

 often do. This idea is a fallacy, and is 

 to be accounted for by the fact of the 

 cripple having risen and dived at some 

 spot towards which their eyes were not at 

 the moment directed, and so crept away 

 out of shot, or stolen to shore. Once 

 near the land, they have the cunning to 

 remain motionless, with but the bill and 

 eye above water; at such times every 

 shelter is taken advantage of, be it only 

 a lump of floating weed, or tiny creek. 

 This cunning is of great service to a duck 

 when with young brood or eggs. At such 

 times she will glide softly from the nest, 

 and remain with only the bill above water 



