442 ANAS OBSCURA. 



HABITS. 



The Black Ducks are, perhaps, the most abundant of the River Ducks in our section, 

 and I have always found them common and breeding, in suitable localities, wherever I 

 have been, between the Gulfs of St. Lawrence and Mexico. In the North, however, these 

 birds are migratory, for although specimens occur quite commonly in Massachusetts all win- 

 ter, they are birds which breed further north, and are noticeably larger than those which 

 live with us in summer, and which have retreated further south during cold weather. In 

 Central Florida, I discovered a local race which is very yellow in color, and which is con- 

 stantly resident in thu State, where they are remarkably abundant. I found them breed- 

 ing on Indian River, the nests being placed on the drier portions of the marshes, in grass 

 which was about eighteen inches high. The eggs were deposited during the first and sec- 

 ond weeks of April; then about the first of May, I would frequently see flocks of little downy 

 ducklings, following the female, but unless I took care to concealniyself, I did not enjoy 

 watching these little families long, for as soon as the parent became aware of my presence, 

 she would emit a chuckling note, when away they would scamper, helter-skelter, into the 

 nearest grass, where it was impossible, upon the most careful search, to discover a single 

 young. I once surprised a brood, when they were some distance from any place of shel- 

 ter, for they had ventured out upon the mud of a creek, at low tide, and I chanced to come 

 out of the high grass, just in front of them. The old Duck appeared to comprehend the 

 situation at once, for she came directly toward me, driving her brood before her, hoping to 

 engage my attention by a display of bravery, while the young escaped into the sheltering 

 vegetation behind me; but placing my gun on the ground, I stooped down and grasped 

 two of the little fellows, as they were running past. The diminutive ducklings uttered 

 shrill cries when they were captured, which drove their parent nearly frantic, for regard- 

 less of possible consequences, she dashed about in front of me, with ruffled feathers and 

 half closed wings, often coming within a foot of me, at the same time, quacking loudly. 

 This out-cry attracted the attention of the drake, but he did not approach very near, 

 merely circling about, some fifty yards distant, quacking softly. Leaving the old female 

 to care for the remainder of the brood, I carried my captives into camp and placed them 

 in a box, the sides of which were about a foot and a half high, but young as they were, 

 they managed to escape. 



On the Magdalen Islands, the Black Ducks deposit their eggs during the last of May 

 or first week in June. When in company with Mr. Win. L. Breeze, near the first of July, 

 I discovered a brood of about a dozen young, my attention being attracted to them, by a 

 whistling sound which they made. They were sitting huddled together, in the top of a 

 small spruce which was lying prostrate over a small stream that flowed through a little ra- 

 vine. The old Duck was absent, and by making a sudden dash at them, I managed to cap- 

 ture three, before they were aware of our presence. The rest dropped into the shallow 

 water, some diving, others creeping into holes, while some sought shelter beneath the roots 

 or overhanging moss; in short, they managed, to conceal themselves so effectually , that we 

 only succeeded in finding one which we took out of the water from beneath a stone. 



Wild Black Ducks are frequently reared by the inhabitants on the Magdalen Islands, 

 and readily mix with the domesticated race which, however, evidently originated from 



