I70 PROPAGATION OF WILD BIRDS 



Ants' Eggs or Angleworms. Another useful food, espe- 

 cially for the more delicate species, is the commercial ants' 

 eggs, which helps to supply the natural insect element. Usu- 

 ally during the earlier stages I gave the ducklings some 

 in the mash, on the Northwestern expeditions. When I ran 

 out of it, however, the ducklings did just as well without it. 

 It is expensive, so in practice I should use it mainly in start- 

 ing young broods, andfor the species hard to rear. Chopped 

 angleworms make an excellent food for such purposes, and 

 are usually easy to get. 



Begin Grain. On the expeditions above-mentioned I ran 

 out of duck meal, but got along all right by substituting 

 cornmeal and bran, about half and half. Also, when the 

 ducklings were three weeks old, I began giving them ground 

 mixed grain, or commercial chick-grain, in the mash, a little 

 at first, increasing the quantity as the ducks grew. 



Green Food. Green vegetable food is also important 

 from the first. About any succulent foliage or growth will 

 do, according to what is accessible. Lettuce, or chopped 

 garden stuff, if available, is always good. When I was in 

 the wilds I used roots of water plants, the inside stems of 

 reeds and rushes, and the Uke, finely chopped. On one ex- 

 pedition our best source for this supply was when we dis- 

 covered areas of wild celery in the lake. We gathered this 

 by bushels, and gave the entire plant to the young ducks, 

 then half grown or more, in pans of water. They were eager 

 for it, and devoured every part, from root to blossoms. 

 This made their mid-day meal, for at the age of about six 

 weeks they were cut down to three meals a day. They were 

 kept on dry land, in pens, and for water had the drinking 

 fonts, now of large poultry size, always before them, and the 

 large pan of water, for celery and bathing, in the middle of 

 the day. 



