168 MALLARD. 



At length, in about three weeks, the young began to cheep in the 

 shell, from which, after a violent struggle, they make their escape. What 

 beautiful creatures ! See how, with their little bills, they dry their 

 downy apparel ! Now in a long line, one after another, they follow their 

 glad mother to the water, on arriving at which they take to swimming 

 and diving, as if elated with joy for having been introduced into exist- 

 ence. The male, wearied and emaciated, is far away on some other pond. 

 The unnatural barbarian cares nothing about his progeny, nor has a 

 thought arisen in his mind respecting the lonely condition of his mate, 

 the greatness of her cares, or the sadness that she may experience under 

 the idea that she has been utterly forsaken by him who once called her 

 his only and truly beloved. No, Reader, not a thought of this kind has 

 he wasted on her whom he has left alone in charge of a set of eggs, and 

 now of a whole flock of innocent ducklings, to secure which from danger, 

 and see them all grow up apace, she manifests the greatest care and 

 anxiety. She leads them along the shallow edges of grassy ponds, and 

 teaches them to seize the small insects that abound there, the flies, the 

 musquitoes, the giddy beetles that skim along the surface in circles and 

 serpentine lines. At the sight of danger they run as it were on the water, 

 make directly for the shore, or dive and disappear. In about six weeks, 

 those that have escaped from the ravenous fishes and turtles have attained 

 a goodly size ; the quills appear on their wings ; their bodies are encased 

 with feathers ; but as yet none are able to fly. They now procure their 

 food by partial immersions of the head and neck in the manner of the old 

 bird. At this period they are already fit for the table, and delicate as 

 well as savoury food they afford. By the time that the leaves are changing 

 their hues, the young Mallards take freely to their wings, and the old 

 males join the congregated flocks. 



The Squatters of the Mississippi raise a considerable number of Mal- 

 lards, which they catch when quite young, and which, after the first year, 

 are as tame as they can wish. These birds raise broods which are supe- 

 rior even to those of the wild ones, for a year or two, after which they 

 become similar to the ordinary ducks of the poultry-yard. The hybrids 

 produced between the IMallard and the Muscovy Duck are of great size, 

 and affbrd excellent eating. Some of these half-breeds now and then 

 wander off, become quite wild, and have by some persons been considered 

 fls forming a distinct species. They also breed, when tame, with the 



