104



On Wild Ducks from an Incubator.



fully one of the few pleasant days. The ducklings were carried in

two crates and two brooders, assorted according' to size. Officials at

every divisional point, through the courtesy of the Dominion Express

Company, had received orders to give every facility, and I remember

everyone of them with gratitude. The bumping and jerking of the

cars kept throwing the poor ducklings off their feet, but they were so

tame they endured it philosophically, and devoted themselves to

eating and drinking. The worst trouble was in keeping them dry, as

the water slopped around, and they spilled it in drinking. I carried

a bag of hay, from which I frequently changed the litter for them.


At one point, Fort William, Ontario, I suddenly found that

they w T ere going to divide the train into two sections. I hustled my

suitcase from the Pullman to the express car and saw no more of

my berth or my son for the next tw T enty-four hours. I tremble to

think of what would have happened to the ducklings had I been left

behind ! That night I slept on top of two boxes in the express

car. It was hardly as comfortable as the lower berth, but more

desirable for the purpose in hand. The nights were cool, and I had

to keep a little heat in the brooders most of the way.


All things come to an end, and on the afternoon of the fifth

day of the trip, over four whole days from the start, I landed the

ducklings on the preserve—102 of them, representing eleven species

of Wild Ducks. Also there was a Coot or Mud-hen that harmonized

beautifully with the Ducks and makes a singular appearance among

them, with its long legs and slender lobed toes. We had lost

eighteen birds on the journey, and during the next few days some of

the smallest ones dropped off from the effects of the journey. Ever

since then, as at present, the rest have been in fine shape.


It was most encouraging and instructive to find that of the

losses due to the journey, every one, with one solitary exception, were

of birds not over twelve days old at the start, and down to three

days. Every duck three weeks old or over at the start, except this

one, a Red-head, which may have been about three weeks old and

perhaps was hurt, stood the ordeal safely. It simply means that

young Wild Ducks over three weeks old can stand a long journey if

they are properly fed and handled. A good rule would be to have

them one month old to make sure.



