WOOD DUCK. 55 



be observed from the ground, on account of the feathers, dead sticks, and 

 withered grasses about it. If the nest is placed immediately over the 

 water, the young, the moment they are hatched, scramble to the mouth 

 of the hole, launch into the air with their little wings and feet spread out, 

 and drop into their favourite element ; but whenever their birth-place is 

 at some distance froin it, the mother carries them to it one by one in her 

 bill, holding them so as not to injure their yet tender frame. On several 

 occasions, however, when the hole was thirty, forty, or more yards from a 

 bayou or other piece of water, I observed that the mother suffered the 

 young to fall on the grasses and dried leaves beneath the tree, and after- 

 wards led them directly to the nearest edge of the next pool or creek. At 

 this early age, the young answer to their parents' call with a mellow pee, 

 pee, pee, often and rapidly repeated. The call of the mother at such times 

 is low, soft, and prolonged, resembling the syllables pe-ee, pe-ee. The 

 watch-note of the male, which resembles hoe-eek, is never uttered by the 

 female ; indeed, the male himself seldom uses it unless alarmed by some 

 uncommon sound or the sight of a distant enemy, or when intent on call- 

 ing passing birds of his own species. 



The young are carefully led along the shallow and grassy shores, and 

 taught to obtain their food, which at this early period consists of small 

 aquatic insects, flies, musquitoes, and seeds. As they grow up, you now 

 and then see the whole flock run as it were along the surface of the slug- 

 gish stream in chase of a dragon-fly, or to pick up a grasshopper or locust 

 that has accidentally dropped upon it. They are excellent divers, and 

 when frightened instantly disappear, disperse below the surface, and make 

 for the nearest shore, on attaining which they run for the woods, squat in 

 any convenient place, and thus elude pursuit. I used two modes of pro- 

 curing them alive on such occasions. One was with a bag net, such as is 

 employed in catching our little partridge, and which I placed half sunk in 

 the water, driving the birds slowly, first within the wings, and finally 

 into the bag. In this manner I have caught young and old birds of this 

 species in considerable numbers. The other method I accidentally dis- 

 covered while on a shooting excursion, accompanied by an excellent 

 pointer dog. I observed that the sight of this faithful animal always 

 immediately frightened the young ducks to the shores, the old one taking 

 to her wings as soon as she conceived her brood to be safe. But the next 

 instant Juno would dash across the bayou or pond, reach the opposite 

 bank, and immediately follow on their track. In a few moments she 



