RESISTANCE TO INJURY 129 



in the parent's feet is that of the young of a very- 

 common Eastern water-fowl, the Small Whistling 

 Tree-Duck {Dendrocycna javanica), which commonly 

 breeds in trees, and has been seen to bring the 

 young ducklings down in that way. The tree- 

 breeding habit occurs frequently in Ducks, espe- 

 cially in tropical climates, and our Wild Duck 

 frequently breeds in pollard willows or on decayed 

 stumps, but the young in such cases generally 

 jump down and take their chance, though 

 M. Rogeron records one ca|Se in which he saw the 

 old bird carry down the young in her bill, as the 

 American Wood-Duck or Carolina Duck {^x 

 sponsa) i? said to do. 



I have heard, however, of a case in which 

 the nearly related Mandarin Duck, breeding 

 at large on an English estate, nested ia a hole 

 about fifty feet above a hard carriage drive, and 

 the young simply jumped down and sprinted off 

 for the water ; of course young Ducks are very 

 light, and thickly padded with stiff down, and so 

 can take risks of the kind better than might be 

 supposed. But the power of resistance of even adult 

 birds of such a kind to a fall must be great ; I have 

 known an adult Carolina Duck escape from the 

 former zoological sale-collection on the terrace at 

 Covent Garden and fall (being pinioned) on the 

 hard stones beneath, and yet not be injured. 



A curious instance of a young bird of the active 

 type in appearance being nevertheless a nestling 

 in habits is that of the young of the South American 



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