AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 171 



other glimpses of bird-life now, alas ! quite impossible 

 to me, are still amongst the brightest home memories 

 of my younger days. I have met with the Mallard 

 in vast numbers in many parts of the south and east 

 of Europe during the winter, especially in the marshes 

 of Epirus, where we occasionally made heavy bags of 

 these birds and other wild-foAvl, principally by waiting 

 for them at sunset or " fligh ting-time." Although 

 the Mallard undoubtedly pairs with the choice of 

 his heart, and remains in her company till she begins 

 to sit, at the commencement of the pairing-season 

 his amours are very promiscuous. I notice that 

 Mr, Saunders, in his ' Manual of British Birds,' says 

 that the " domestic forms " that have sprung from 

 this species are all polygamous, although the Mallard 

 in the wild state is monogamous ; but I can assure my 

 readers, from pretty close observation of perfectly 

 wild birds, that the Mallard allows himself a wide 

 latitude of very close attention to the softer sex 

 before finally deciding upon his bride for the year. 



There is a long established decoy in the north- 

 eastern corner of our county near Peakirk ; this is 

 mentioned by Morton as Sir John Shaw's Decoy, 

 and is, I believe, still worked to considerable 

 advantage. At Lilford our semi-tame Mallards 

 breed freely with the Australian Wild Duck, Anas 

 siiperciliosa, whose habits are identical with their 

 ow^n ; the hybrids thus obtained are fertile for at 

 least some two or three generations. 



Almost all experienced decoy-men credit the 

 Mallard and other wild-fowl with a keen power of 

 scent, and generally think it necessary to carry a 

 piece of smouldering turf to drown the effluvium of 

 humanity when accompanying visitors, or working 



