THE WILD Drriv. 83 



a duck, the third remove from a wikl one, which had been carried 

 in a basket from the Falls, two miles from Belfast, to his house 

 in town. Its wing was either pulled or cut, on being turned into 

 his town-yard, where it was kept for four or five weeks. He 

 then sent it to my residence in Malone, two miles from Belfast 

 in a different direction. It remained there, frequenting a pond 

 in my garden, for about three weeks, when it disappeared. On 

 going to Belfast, I found, by Mr. Sinclaire, that it had gone home 

 to his dam whence it had been brought." "^ 



Wild ducks rarely collect into dense flocks, like brent geese 

 or wigeon ; they are more scattered, and hence do not offer such 

 tempting shots. They — and teal also — differ from those birds 

 and from other wild-fowl by suddenly bounding from the water 

 right into the air, without giving any warning to the shooter; 

 whereas, the otliers swim a little off, or give some indication that 

 they are about to rise. They continue numerous as ever — at 

 least, as for forty years past — in Belfast Bay, visiting it chiefly 

 at night, though brent geese, wigeon, and teal have become much 

 diminished. In Dublin, too, I learned, in December 1849, that 

 they are as abundant as ever in the decoys, &c., whence the mar- 

 ket of that city is supplied. They are very highly esteemed for 

 the table. In Belfast, the shooters usually get from Is. 3d. to 

 Is. 6d. each for them, from the dealers, which is twice as much 

 as they do for pochards or scaup ducks. 



In Belfast, the common species of Anatida are generally pre- 

 ferred as food in the following order : — Wild duck, teal, wigeon, 

 brent goose, pochard ; the scaup is not very saleable — the tufted 

 duck and golden-eye still less so.f The pintail, of which very few 

 are obtained, is considered of equal value with the wigeon ; and 

 the shoveller, still more rare, does not yield to any species in the 

 fine flavour of its flesh. 



* Aug. 3, 1810. — This was communicatecl to Mrs. Priscilla Wakefield, for her 

 ' Anecdotes of Auimals.' 



t I have known the golden-eye brought to table at the end of March, when, 

 though not too long kept, its smell was so strong and disagreeable, that it had to be 

 sent out of the room. 



a 1 



