THE TAME DUCK. 



205 



ity ; it has even been remarked, that when ducks are 

 too well fed, they will not sit well. The period of in- 

 cubation is about thirty days, whioh is somewhat lon- 

 ger than that of the wild species. 



The first broods of the season are usually the best, 

 because the heat of summer helps much to strengthen 

 the ducklings ; the cold always preventing the later 

 broods from getting strong. 



The duok is apt to let her eggs get cold, when she 

 hatohes. Yet Reaumur says, he had one of the com- 

 mon species, which only left the nest once a day, 

 towards eight or nine in the morning ; and before leav- 

 ing it, covered the eggs over with a layer of straw, 

 which she drew from the body of the nest, to screen 

 them from the impression of the air. This layer, 

 above an inch thick, secured the eggs so well, that 

 it was impossible to guess that they were there. But, 

 every duck is far from giving the same proofs of so 

 much foresight for the preservation of the warmth of 

 the eggs, as this one was, and it often happens that 

 they let them cool. The ducklings are no sooner ex- 

 cluded, than the mother takes them to the water, 

 where they dabble and eat at the very first, and many 

 of them perish, if the weather is cold. 



All these reasons often induce poultry keepers to 

 have ducks' eggs hatched by hens or turkey hens ; 

 and being more assiduous than ducks, these borrowed 

 mothers take an affection for the young, to watch 

 over, which requires great attention ; because, as these 

 are unable to accompany them on the water, for which 

 they show the greatest propensity as soon as they are 

 excluded, they follow the mother hen on dry land, and 

 get a little hardy before they are allowed to take to 

 the water without any guide. Yet, they can do with- 

 out a mother as soon as they are excluded from the 

 shell. 



REARING AND FEEDING TlfE YOUNG. 



The best mode of rearing ducklings depends very 

 much upon the situation in which they are hatched. 



