Birds. 1599 



three young wild ducks ; two of them turned out to be drakes. I sent 

 away my tame drakes, and, in consequence, the next season had a 

 large family of half-bred and whole wild ducks, as the tame and wild 

 bred freely together. The wild ducks which have been caught are the 

 tamest of all ; throwing off all their natural shyness, they follow their 

 feeder, and will eat corn out of the hand of any person with whom they 

 are acquainted. The half-breds are sometimes pinioned, as they are 

 inclined to fly away for the purpose of making their nests at a dis- 

 tance : at other times they never attempt to leave the field in front of 

 the house."— p. 129. 



Long-tailed Buck {Anas glacialis). — " There is a very pretty and 

 elegant little duck, which is common on our coast — the long-tailed 

 duck {Anas glacialis). Its movements and actions are peculiarly 

 graceful and amusing, while its musical cry is quite unlike that of 

 any other bird, unless a slight resemblance to the trumpeting of the 

 wild swan may be traced in it. Lying concealed on the shore, T have 

 often watched these birds as they swim along in small companies 

 within twenty yards of me ; the drake, with his gay plumage, playing 

 quaint antics around the more sad-coloured female — sometimes jerking 

 himself half out of the water, at other times diviug under her, and 

 coming up on the other side. Sometimes, by a common impulse, they 

 all set off swimming in a circle after each other with great rapidity, and 

 uttering their curious cry, which is peculiarly wild and pleasing. While 

 feeding these birds dive constantly, remaining under water for a con- 

 siderable time. Turning up their tails, they dip under with a curious 

 kind of motion, one after the other, till the whole flock is under water. 

 They are not nearly so wild or shy as many other kinds of wild-fowl, 

 and are easily shot, though if only winged it is almost impossible to 

 catch them, even with the best retriever, so quickly do they dive. 

 They swim in with the flowing tide, frequently following the course of 

 the water to some little distance from the mouth of the river. When 

 I see them in the heavy surf on the main shore, they seem quite at 

 their ease, floating high in the water, and diving into the midst of the 

 wildest waves. When put up they seldom fly far, keeping low, and 

 suddenly dropping into the water again, where they seem more at 

 their ease than in the air. When T have shot one of these birds, its 

 mate (whether the duck or the drake is the survivor) returns frequently 

 to the spot, flying round and round, and uttering a plaintive call." — 

 p. 130. 



" The Golden-eye {Anas clangula), and the morillon, are common 

 about the river and burns. I have often heard it argued that these 



