332 NATATORES. 



herbage by the streams among corn-fields, and sometimes 

 resort in severe weather to the margins of woods and cop- 

 pices ; and they eat not only vegetable seeds, but the briard 

 of wheat and other grain. The flesh of the wild duck is 

 superior in flavour to that of the tame, and those which 

 inhabit the rich countries and find part of their food upon 

 land, are superior in juiciness to those which reside more 

 exclusively in the marshes. In England, the grand resorts 

 for them in the winter are the shores and estuaries between 

 the Thames and the Humber ; though they are found plen- 

 tifully in all parts of the country that are adapted to their 

 habits. They do not keep out from land upon even the 

 inland broad waters, nor, though excellent and graceful 

 swimmers, do they swim across these. They transport them- 

 selves by flight. From district to district their flight is 

 high, like that of all large birds on their migrations ; but on 

 the same piece of water their flights are low, hurried, and 

 fluttering, though at the same time very rapid ; and in these 

 cases they sometimes fly and run at the same time, so that 

 their footprints may be seen as distinct ripples before they 

 run into each other and form a continuous wake. When 

 they rise of their own accord they come gradually from the 

 floating posture, through wading and running on the water, 

 till they entirely clear the surface on the wing, and they 

 generally alight in the sam& gradual manner ; but when they 

 are forced up by any alarm, they can bring their bodies to 

 an erect position, and take wing at once. Their manners 

 are altogether interesting, and not the less so on account of 

 their value in an economical point of view, but they are 

 easily studied. The vast numbers of wild ducks which are 

 annually taken in decoys or otherwise, are, on account of the 

 number of the broods, probably more protective than des- 

 tructive of the race, as they prevent epizooty, which falls 

 upon all races of animals, but first and most severely upon 



