By Marsh and Mere 



chase one another from the reeds, splashing over 

 the water or swim sedately out in the middle, 

 and several species of Duck find sufficient 

 shelter in the wide reed-beds to bring up their 

 families undisturbed. The Wild Duck, from which 

 the farmyard variety is derived, is by far the 

 commonest fresh-water Duck and must be well 

 known to everyone. There can be no need to 

 describe the velvet -like head and the prismatic 

 hues of the wing-bar of the Mallard, or the more 

 sober colours of his spouse. They are very careful 

 in choosing the site for their nests, especially in 

 districts where foxes are plentiful, and conse- 

 quently they have been found in a variety of 

 strange places, not the least frequent being the 

 crown of a pollarded willow. Perhaps the most 

 usual place is among the rushes on a river- 

 bank, and the nest is little more than a lining of 

 down taken from the bird's own breast. From 

 eight to twelve or fourteen eggs of greenish white 

 are laid, and these the female carefully covers 

 with down when voluntarily leaving the nest. 



This down is the distinguishing feature of the 

 nests of many species of Duck, for there is but 

 little difference to be seen in the eggs, and col- 

 lectors have to take some of the down in order to 

 prove their identity. That of the Wild Duck 

 is light brown, tipped with white, but it is mixed 

 with several pure white plumes. 



The Duck family forms a most interesting study 



83 



