THE STRANGE AND BEAUTIFUL SHELDRAKE 189 



time to his own music. If no notice was taken 

 of this motion by the duck sitting by his side 

 dozing on the grass, the drake would take a few 

 steps forward and place himself directly before 

 her, so as to compel her to give attention, and 

 rock more vigorously than ever, haranguing her, 

 as it were, although without words ; the meaning 

 of it aU being that it was time for her to get up 

 and go to her burrow to lay her egg. I do not 

 know any other species in which the male takes 

 it on himself to instruct his mate on a domestic 

 matter which one would imagine to be exclusively 

 within her own province ; and some ornithologists 

 may doubt that I have given a right explanation 

 of these curious doings of the sheldrake. But 

 mark what follows : The duck at length gets up, 

 in a lazy, reluctant way, perhaps, and stretches a 

 wing and a leg, and then after awhile sways her 

 head two or three times, as if to say that she is 

 ready. At once the drake, followed by her, walks 

 off, and leads the way to the burrow, which may be 

 a couple of hundred yards away ; and during the 

 walk she sometimes stops, whereupon he at once 

 turns back and begins the swaying motion again. 

 At last, arriving at the mouth of the burrow, he 



