232 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
name of Désailés. It is this circumstance no doubt which has 
civen rise to the popular impression that at this season of the 
year the Mallards migrate, leaving the Ducks behind. By this 
time, also, the young birds have attained some size, and are 
known as ‘‘ Halbrans.” Some are already on the wing and 
following their parent, others impatiently await the appearance 
of their flight-feathers, which sprout all at once, to enable them 
in their turn to try their powers of flight. 
These ‘‘ Halbrans”’ remain in company till the autumn, when 
they unite in large flocks, as already mentioned. At the opening 
of the shooting season they are easily shot, and get up sometimes 
at the feet of the shooter, or under the boat which carries him, 
like young Partridges in September; but they soon acquire 
experience, and rarely suffer a near approach, unless suddenly 
surprised. The old ‘‘ Désailés,”’ although deprived of the use of 
their wings, take good care of themselves, either threading their 
way noiselessly through the reeds, or diving across the open 
reaches of water; they have a wonderful knack of eluding 
pursuit. If they are driven towards the tail end of a pool, where 
the cover is thinner, away from the great reed beds, their usual 
haunt, they know the danger of turning back past the shooters, 
and resort to another dodge to escape. Diving quietly towards 
any water-plants on the surface, they come up under a leaf, 
where, with only the top of the head above water, they remain 
perfectly motionless, eyeing the sportsman who is in search of 
them. The latter, who is on his guard against such wiles, 
scrutinises every bunch of floating cover, detects the skulking 
Mallard, approaches noiselessly, and grasps him by the neck, 
unless he prefers to shoot him; but very often, nine times out of 
ten, the ruse succeeds, and the bird escapes. In this way, too, 
many a winged bird which has dropped in the water has eluded 
discovery, to the vexation of the shooter. 
Towards the end of July the old Mallards have got new quills 
and recovered the use of their wings, a few only being delayed 
until about the 10th or 15th August. But by this date all trace 
of the moult has completely disappeared. 
For the last twenty years or more, twenty-five or thirty of 
these flightless Mallards have annually passed through our hands. 
We have always carefully examined them, and whenever (from 
their peculiar dull plumage) there has been any doubt about the 
