Screamers, Ducks, Geese, and Swans 459 



(lr,.nps(ir;,h.,| bn.Mls of Hiirks liav,- h,.,.n .|..,iv..| (,„n, f),,- n,.)l;,nl. Tli- ro>„mr,n-f hr—l 

 • lill.Ts hill. 1,11,1,., H.'ivi- in ils frrcat, hi/.., (loi.i t !,.■ uil,| |,„r.-i,l, lorn,, hut t h.; most .-.l.-.-in'-.l arr; 

 IhoM- l<M..un aK th.. ItMi.K.N i„„l Avi.KsiiiHY. Tli- l'..,N.,nN-i.r< k is ( h- ,no-f ah.-rrant and thr, 

 u-h.'st ol (h.'w hrvcls, iiavin^f a pcnih-arly npriKht, aukuani rarria;^.., and very Fniall uin«-. 



'I'h<. SAi/r-vVATKit 1>i:<;ks, or J;ivj,m;-i.ick,s. an. for tl,.>. nios) part of a l/c-avi.-r hnild 

 tlian th.. for,.((oinj,r Kp.Ti,.., and many ar- of a son,hr<- roloralion. All i\„- Kpr-ri... ar<- 

 .■x|,..rl (hvorK, an.) in ronso,|,„.nrr. hav 1 ho l,;^., uhirh aro short, j.la.-od far liaokward,'-. and 

 I Ins cansos I horn (o assinnr. a, njoro uprifrht rarriago whf-n on kind. 'J'h.- rnrioiis honv l;ulh 

 Ml the haso ol t ho wiiidpipo found in I lio frr'sh-wal.-r sp.-oi.-s horomos in t ho saH-wat or forms 

 ^roally onkirj(o,l, and ils walls ino,„n|,h'(o|y ossiliod, h'aving lar^r,. Hj.acos to ho (illod hv 

 lio.ailiarly dolioal.^ sh.'ols of mondaano. 'J'i,o majority of tho sjiora'c's in this sort ion fro.pa.n't 

 (ho ojion soa, hill somo ornir inland, 



*'"'■ "'' ""' '1'"^* iisohil, and at I ho sam<. timo most orna,montal, of this soclion is tho 

 I'JhKli-l.rcK, Iho malo i,, full phiina;^.! hoini^r a truly ma;(ni(ioont bird: tho fomalo, as in (}io 

 majority of diM^ks, is rkid in sohor .■oh.urs. In li'oland and Norway tho .'idorduok is striotiv 

 jiroloolod, a lino hoino im|„,,-,.,| f,,,- killin;( it duiiii;r 1 1,,; hrooiJin;r-s,.,,,^oii, or o\,.n i\,r filing 

 a ^^iin iioar ils haiinls. This 

 most unusual oaro is, ho\vo\o|-, 

 hy no moans of a disiii- 

 toi'oslod kind, hut is o,\loiidod j^/k'^' 

 sololv that, coiiaiii |ai\ ilo.io'd 

 porsons may roh t hi' hirds of 

 I heir o^j^s and Iho down on 

 whioli (hoy rosi, the lallor 

 hoing the valiiahh^ ojiloi- 

 dowii so miioh in doniand lor 

 ho(|-oov<'rlot s and ol hor piir- 

 posos. "'J'lio o^gs and down." 

 sa,ys I'rol'ossor Ni'wlon, " aro 

 taken at, iiilor\als of a low 

 days by I ho o\\ iii'rs of I ho 

 ■ oiiji'i'-fold,' and t ho birds an' 

 I liiis kopt doposil iiig hot h 

 during t ho wholo soason. . . . 

 I'A'ory diH'k is iillimatoly 

 allowi'd to hatch an ogg or 



two lo koi'ii lip Iho stork." ,Mr. W. 0. Shoppnrd givos an intorosting aorount of a visit to 

 an oidor-coloiiy on an island off tho coast, of Iceland. "()n landing," ho says, "tho diii'ks 

 and (lioir nosts woi'o i'\'orvu hi'ro. (iroal hrouii ducks sat upon their nests in niasses. and 

 at, I'M'ry step slarted from iiiidi-r our foot. It was with dillicnlty wo avoided treading on 

 some of Iho nests. On the coast, of the o|)posite shore was a wall laiilt, of largo stones 

 about, ;i loot, high and of c(aisiderahlo thii'knoss. At Iho hollom, on hot h sidi's of il, 

 alternate stones lia.d heeii left out, so as to fonn a sorii'S of sipiarc' apaiimenls foi- the ducks 

 Ic) nest in. Almost every a,par(inenl, was occupied. . The house itself was a iiiar\cl. 'ihe 



earllii'ii w.-dls that surrounded il, iiiid the window emhrasiires, weie occii|)ied by ducks. On 

 I hi' ground the' house was fringed with ducks. On the turf slopes of its roof we could see 

 ducks, and a duck sat on t Im^ door-scraper. The grassy hanks had bi'on cut into sipiaro 

 pat<'lies, ahoiit, ]H inches having heeii icimncd, and I'ach hollow had heen iilled with (Jiicks. 

 A windmill w.as infeslod, and so w<'re all the, out houses, mounds, rocks, and crevices. Tho 

 iliicks were ovi'rywherc!. Many wei'o so tanu^ that we I'onld stroke them cm Ihoir nests, and 

 the go<id lady lold us I hat, there was scarci'ly a duck on the island that would not allow 

 her lo tako its eggs without llight or fear." 



rii-iii, 1,11 ir. ji.nl \ 



[ir,.<i,o.«-, A-.ji. 



J'AHAIIISD-OrCKS. 



'riiin »),.:(;i.;ii i» il ,];iUvo .il' ,\''W Z.nrirj.l, wlj<.-ri) Ui.' |,h„l„;;i-i);li n:a (..-ikm. TIjo liii'i "» f,h'- rj^ht 

 Willi Ujc wliUo huiiil i» Ol.; I'i'li.iilc. 



