THE WILD DUCK. 



boschas. 



HIS very handsome bird, the 

 ancestor of most of our varie- 

 ties of domestic ducks, may 

 be said to be common to all 

 parts of the continent of Eu- 

 rope. It is found as far east 

 as Japan, and as far west as 

 the United States ; in fact, it 

 may fairly be considered in- 

 digenous to the larger part of 

 the northern hemisphere. 



If the accounts of some of 

 our earlier naturalists can be 

 relied upon, the Wild Duck 

 was formerly much more nume- 

 rous in our own country than 

 at the present time, the large 

 numbers exhibited every winter 

 in our shops and markets being 

 obtained from the vast flocks 

 that visit us from high north- 

 ern latitudes, while but com- 

 paratively few pairs remain 

 with us through the summer 

 months. 



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