382 THE GAME BIRDS AND WILD FOWL 



the waist. A skilful man will sometimes capture as many as twenty Ducks 

 during one trip. Sometimes the skin of a Pelican is used instead of a gourd. 



Nidification The Mallard is an early breeder, in England commencing 



to lay in March or early April, hut a month or six weeks later in Scotland. Far- 

 ther north, of course, the bird is later, not beginning to lay until June in Finland, 

 for instance ; but in Cashmere it is also late, laying in May and the first half of 

 June. We are of opinion that this species pairs for life, and the duck and drake are 

 considerably attached to each other even in winter. The nest is built in a variety 

 of situations, and not by any means always in the neighbourhood of water. I 

 have seen the nests in open parts of the forest on ground covered with bracken 

 and studded with clumps of thorn-trees, and also on the barest ground under 

 heather on small islands in the Highland lochs. Occasionally it is built in the 

 deserted nest of a Crow or Eook, under the shelter of a wall of peat, in a boat- 

 house, amongst ivy, in a hollow tree-trunk, or on the top of a pollard ; more 

 frequently in a field of corn or a hedge bottom. Very often it is made amongst 

 long coarse grass and sedge by the waterside. The nest is usually made in a 

 hollow scraped in the ground and filled with dry grass, bracken, leaves, or any 

 vegetable refuse easily obtainable, and warmly lined with down and a few small 

 feathers from the breast and flanks of the female. The eggs are from eight to 

 sixteen in number, twelve being an average clutch. They vary in colour from 

 pale buffish green to greenish buff, are fine and smooth in texture, and with a faint 

 gloss. They measure on an average 2'3 inches in length by 1"6 inch in breadth. 

 The down tufts are large and neutral grey with very faint white tips. The female 

 covers her eggs carefully whenever she leaves them ; and if flushed usually flies 

 close to the ground for some distance, hiding herself as soon as possible. She 

 alone performs the task of incubation, which lasts from twenty-six to twenty-eight 

 days. The drake takes no share whatever in bringing up the brood, one only 

 being reared in the season, and is never seen in the nest. When surprised with 

 her ducklings the female sometimes feigns lameness, and devotedly remains by 

 her brood even in the presence of dogs. Numbers of nests of this Duck may be 

 found close together ; we have seen three within as many yards on one small islet. 

 We have never observed any polygamous tendency in this species. 



Diagnostic characters.— ^nas, with the predominating colour of the 

 alar speculum purple ; the central tail feathers curled up, and with no white ring 

 round the eyes. Length, 21 to 24 inches. The Mallard is the original species 

 from which the domestic Duck has sprung. 



