506 D U C K. 



a young one having been dropped at the foot of an intelligent 

 friend unhurt, by the mother flying over his head. The young 

 birds do not come to their full plumage till the fecond year : 

 they may be hatched under a tame Duck, and the young readily 

 brought up j but are apt, after a few years, to attempt the maftery 

 over the reft of the poultry ; and we have feen fome that were 

 even vicious, attacking every thing that came in their way. In 

 a ftate of nature the food feems chiefly to be finally, marine in- 

 feels, and f jells ; herbage has likewife been found in their fto- 

 machs. In a tenne ftate will eat bread, grain, and greens. Their 

 great beauty would tempt us to endeavour at domefticating the 

 race ; but it will not thrive completely, except in the neighbour- 

 hood of fait water, which fomehow feems eflential to its well- 

 being : the flelh likewife is rank and unfavoury, though the eggs 

 have at all times been thought very good. 



This fpecies is found as far as Iceland to the north. Vifits Swe- 

 den and the Orknies in the winter, and returns \nfpring. Is found 

 in Afia about the Cafpian Sea, and all the fait lakes of the Tar- 

 tarian and Sibirian Defarts *, as well as in Kamtfchatka f. Our 

 voyagers, if right in the fpecies, have alfo met with it at Falk- 

 land I/les X, and Van Diemen's Land ||. 



* Between Syfran and Symbyrjk, in the fpring, M. Lepechin met with the Sbiel- 

 drahe, Pintail, Sbcveler, and other forts of Ducks, in fuch quantities as to be 

 obliged to flop his ears on account of their noife. — Dec. Ruff. i. p. 472. 



t Ara. Zool. 



X " The Sheldrakes fwarmed in fuch a manner at Falkland's I/lands, that in 

 failing our boats under the rocks we have killed hundreds with our oars and 

 boat-books." — Penrofs, p. 34. 



|| Cook's Fcj. i. p. 229. 



LENGTH 



