368 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
second or third generation would manifest no desire to 
become roamers. 
The ducks commence building their nests between 
the middle of March and the first of May, according to 
the climate of the regions where they dwell. The nests 
are always near a stream, lake, pond, or slough, and are 
as secluded as the ground will permit. They differ ma- 
terially in construction, some being made of coarse grass, 
while others are lined inside with soft, loose feathers. 
The eggs number from ten to sixteen, and are like 
those of the domestic variety in color, being a greenish- 
blue. The flappers appear in May or June, and from the 
moment of their birth until their death they seem to be 
impressed with the idea that they have many foes. Even 
when they are mere mites, they have the bump of cau- 
tiousness so strongly developed that they often disappear 
under water the moment they see a person, and when 
they come to the surface they only show the bill, if pos- 
sible; but if they get ashore, they do not care how much 
of the body is seen, for they run as fast as they can on 
open ground, and without piping, and plunge into the 
first hiding-place they find. They are well feathered be- 
tween the first and middle of October, and strong and 
large enough to fly at a rapid rate for a long distance, so 
that they afford good shooting. When the birds congre- 
gate in the autumn, they spread out in every direction, 
and cover the country in such vast flocks that their num- 
bers cannot even be estimated. When moving off to 
feed, their loud squawking may be heard for an hour 
or two in the morning, but they do not remain feeding 
all day during fine weather, for, after partaking of 
breakfast, they return to their roosting-places until three 
or four o’clock in the afternoon, when they sally forth 
again in quest of a dinner. They are not always punc- 
tual in their movements, for hunger does not compel 
them to leave the duckery until sundown sometimes, and 
