242 Mr. Peabody on the 
derfully swift and well sustained, while the wings 
of the common duck hardly lift it from the ground. 
The squatters of the Mississippi catch many of the 
mallards when young, and they are sufficiently tame 
by the end of the first year. The young of those 
thus caught, are, for a year or two, superior to the 
wild ones, but soon become like the common ducks 
of the barnyard. The hybrids raised between the 
Mallard and Muscovy, are said to be large, and afford 
excellent eating. 
The mallard has many of the properties of a noc- 
turnal bird, feeding and travelling more by night 
than by day. In the dark, their flight is distin- 
guished by the whistling of their wings. They 
generally arrange themselves in the wedge form to 
go to any distance, and never alight on any spot till 
they have wheeled several times round it, to ascer- 
tain whether it is safe to take possession ; except 
when under the command of an experienced leader; 
who judges at once of the presence of danger, and 
if he suspects none, strikes down without hesitation 
upon the water. They then begin to bathe and 
dress themselves, before they go to the shore for 
food. After this ceremony is over, some explore the 
mud for leeches, frogs, or lizards; others go into the 
woods for beechnuts and acorns, moving round with 
prodigious cackling. If they hear a sound, they 
know whether it is made by animals or not; if it 
is, they go on with their employment; but if it de- 
notes that man is at hand, they glide into the water; 
and put off to what they consider a safe distance 
from the shore. 
