36 



sen haunts in order to rest themselves. Of the several species with- 

 in the grounds, which proved least refractory, and were therefore 

 finally transferred to the barn-yard, none adapted themselves thor- 

 oughly to this state excepting the Mallard, Dusky-Duck and Canada 

 Goose, the progeny of which prospered well and attained a greater 

 weight and size than the ordinary domesticated stock. 



Some of them are still living and betray in many instances a 

 tendency to revert, in point of plumage, to their original condition, 

 while the majority have become completely metamorphosed into 

 ordinary barn-yard fowl. No hybrids from any two different wild 

 species, which bred only within the enclosure, were ever obtained, 

 excepting from crosses between the Mallard and Dusky-Duck. 



I was unable to learn what became of them; whether they 

 were ever permitted to migrate, or whether they were incorporated 

 finally into the ranks of the farm-yard stock. Whether such hy- 

 brids, if propagating their kind, transmit their peculiarities to the next 

 brood, or otherwise, are interesting problems, as we could account 

 for specific variations to arise as well in a perfectly natural condi- 

 tion, from which the birds here were hardly emancipated. A num- 

 ber of carefully conducted experiments with such hybrids would, 

 however, be necessary, to arrive at definite conclusions in order to 

 demonstrate the origination of a permanent new species by voluntary 

 interbreeding. 



The food of all ducks under confinement was invariably such 

 as they are addicted to in their wild state, and consisted of vari- 

 ous grains, with a mixture of acorns and the shoots and roots 

 of aquatic plants for the Wood-Ducks. This species, though freely 

 breeding in confinement, resisted all efforts for final domestica- 

 tion, and never failed to manifest great alarm whenever any per- 

 son besides their keeper, whom they quickly learned to know, hap- 

 pened to intrude upon their seclusion. They would then quickly 

 skulk and try to hide themselves in the tall weeds, which were 

 growing in rank luxuriance, for better protection and retire- 

 ment. Suitable nesting places were ingeniously arranged for them 

 by means of hollow stumps of trees with inclined boards towards 

 the ground in order to afford the pinioned birds an easy mode of 

 access to their breeding holes. It was in these that they made their 

 nests, in the same fashion as wild birds, and raised here for many 



