cHap. xxxv.] BIRDS DEVOURERS OF INSECTS. 275 
and flies ought to earn them an immunity from all danger from 
trap or gun. Gardeners are always too much inclined to wage 
war against all small birds, forgetting that they invariably feed 
their young, not with seeds, but with different kinds of grubs 
and caterpillars, in this way amply repaying any little mischiet 
they may do to the early-sown seeds. For my own part, I never 
trust a gun in my gardener’s hands, but let the blackbirds and 
thrushes take as many cherries as they like, in return for which 
they destroy thousands of grey snails, &c., besides giving me 
many a moment of pleasure by their song. I admit that I do 
occasionally shoot the crows and jackdaws when they destroy too 
many of the cherries, particularly as these active marauders come 
from some distance in large flocks as soon as the fruit becomes 
red on the trees. I invariably observe that at this season one or 
two jackdaws arrive first, flying round and round at a great 
height above the garden. After some chattering between them-. 
selves they fly away, returning some hours afterwards with the 
rest of their family, four or five in number ; and if not checked 
by a few charges of shot, these first intruders soon invite every 
jackdaw in the country to the feast, their numbers increasing 
every day, till I am obliged to take active steps against them. 
About the second week in July the young wild ducks begin to 
fly. Those hatched high up in the country usually make their 
way down to the sea-side in that month. They follow the course 
of some stream or river till they arrive at their destination. 
Like the fable of the ostrich hiding her head when pursued, the 
young wild ducks when chased on the river will frequently dip 
their heads under the water, and keeping it there till they are 
nearly drowned, fancy themselves secure, although their whole 
body is exposed. If taken up, and put into some enclosed yard 
or garden, they will soon become tolerably tame, and get very 
fat if well fed. The whole of my poultry-yard (as far as ducks 
‘are concerned) is supplied by a breed of half wild and half tame 
ducks, originating in some young drakes caught, and turned out 
with the tame ducks—the tame drakes being all sent away, in 
order to ensure the proper cross in the breed. The birds are 
very much improved for the table by this cross, and are quite as 
tame as the common domestic duck, only showing their wild 
parentage in an inclination to hide their nests, and to build at a 
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