WOOD DUCK. 529 



notes and fly away, and the ducklings stealthily run on shore and conceal themselves 

 among the weeds and grass. The faithful dog would trace them out, one by one, and 

 as soon as he had detected one, would place it betweeen his two fore-paws and retain it 

 without injury, till my brother would secure it. 



" In this way he could take any desirable number. At one time, he had a large flock 

 that were full-grown and in their full plumage, which in the males is more beautiful 

 than the peacocks, or any American bird. 



" They were restrained within the enclosure of his garden and door-yard, containing 

 perhaps an acre of ground, and were apparently as tame as our common domestic Mal- 

 lards. 



" At a time when some of them were preparing their nests, in hollow logs furnished 

 them for the purpose, a mischievous pole-cat found his way into the premises, and 

 destroyed several of the females. This interrupted them for that season. The survivors 

 were neglected and permitted to escape to a creek in the vicinity, and before the return 

 of another season were destroyed by hunters. Since that time he has not renewed- the 

 attempt to domesticate them ; but his efforts convinced me of its feasibility. The faith- 

 ful dog has long since been dead, and the dncks are now very rare in that neighborhood. 



" A few years since, while engaged in taking insects with a light net, I unexpectedly 

 •ame across an old duck with her brood, consisting of perhaps half a dozen indivi- 

 duals. Tl^y were feeding in an artificial ditch, with nearly perpendicular banks. The 

 mother sounded an alarm and flew away — the young could not creep up the sides of the 

 ditch, and therefore attempted to escape by swimming. I threw the millinet bag over 

 two of them which I secured without injury. After amusing myself with them and 

 observing their trepidation I let them take their way. 



"Not only this species but many others might be successfully tamed and introduced 

 into our poultry yards. There is no obstacle to the accomplishment of this purpose with 

 the Black, Gadwall, Pochard, Teals and Canvas-back Ducks. Their habits are no more 

 unfavorable than those of the Mallard which was the parent of the domestic kind. 



" We doubt not that the Snow and the White- fronted Geese, which are still common 

 in some parts of the west, could be reduced to the same condition. I know that the 

 Canada Goose has often bred about the farm-yard, and that the Sandhill Crane may 

 become one of the most familiar pets." 



Suh-famUy Puligulin.®. Sea Ducks. 



Tarsi scutellate anteriorly ; feet large ; hind toe with a broad membranous lobe. 



Genus FULIGULA. Stephens. 



BUI with feathers extending in a short obtuse angle upon forehead, and as a crescent 

 on sides, leaving an acute basal process uncovered superiorly and laterally on each side. 

 Nail of bill small, narrow, distinct, forming only central part of tip. Tail short, rounded, 

 abont one-third the wing. 



Sub-genus FuUx. Bill broad, about eqaal to inner toe and claw, its sides parellel to 

 the end or widening, the nostrils in its posterior two- fifths. 



FuLiGULA MARiLA (L.) Stephens. 



Grreater Black-head. 



SWigula marilla, Bjktland, Ohio Geolog. Snrv., 1838, 166, 187.— Whbaton, Food of 

 Birds, etc., Ohio Geolog. Rep. for 1874, 1875, 574 ; Beprint, 14. 

 34 



