WILD DUCK 



CHAPTER XVI 



Wild Ducks : Edible kinds of— Breeding-places of Mallards— Change of Plumage- 

 Shooting — Feeding-places — Half- bred Wild Ducks — Anas glacialis — Anas 

 clausula : Habits of —Teeth of Goosander— Cormorants — Anecdotes. 



A FEW years ago I used to see a great many scaup ducks in the 

 pools and byrns near the coast, but now it is very seldom that 

 I meet with a single bird of this kind ] the last which I killed 

 here was in the month of July. This is one of the few ducks 

 frequenting the shore which has not a rank or fishy flavour : * 

 out of the numerous varieties of birds of the duck kind, I can 

 only enumerate four that are really good eating, namely, the 

 common mallard, the widgeon, the teal, and the scaup duck. 



' This opinion differs from that generally entertained, for the scaup is regarded by 

 most persons as unfit for the table. 



