168 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



the lower valley of the Nen in former years during 

 the winter-floods, though 200 or 300 may now and 

 then be seen together in such circumstance in the 

 neighbourhood of Lilford. Since the completion of 

 my decoy near Tichmarsh in 1885, I have seldom 

 heard of more than 100 together on the decoy-pond, 

 and fifty-three is the largest number that has ever 

 been taken there in one " drive " ; this, however, is 

 not to be taken as any true indication of the number 

 of these birds frequenting the neighbourhood, as we 

 always have more Wild Ducks in flood-times than 

 under any other conditions, and during these floods 

 the decoy is unworkable, and the " fowl " finding 

 themselves perfectly secure on the open meadows, 

 naturally avoid crowding on to a small pool for the 

 rest and food that attract them when the unfortunately 

 navigable Nen is at its normal level. Of late years 

 we have reared Wild Ducks by hand in some numbers 

 at Lilford, from eggs collected in the district and in 

 Lancashire, and the majority now captured at the 

 decoy or shot in our neighbourhood show signs of 

 semi-domestic origin in their weight, the shortness 

 of their wings, the width and irregularity of the 

 white collar of the drakes, and a tendency to variety 

 in plumage. These birds commence laying earlier 

 than genuine wild-bred Ducks, and are often sitting 

 hard on full complements of eggs by the first week 

 of March ; a very large percentage of these early eggs 

 are stolen by Rooks and Carrion-Crows, or destroyed 

 by spring-floods, so that the broods hatched and 

 reared by the parent birds are comparatively few, but 

 in many cases experience has taught the old birds 

 caution, and I am acquainted with many instances of 

 Ducks' nests near Lilford situated in hollow trees, at 



