THE DUCK. 



Inattentive to their offspring. 



their leader. The feet of the tame duck are 

 black. 



It is usual to lay duck eggs under a hen, be- 

 cause she hatches them better than the original 

 parent would have done. The duck seems to be 

 a heedless, inattentive mother; she frequently 

 leaves her eggs till they spoil, and even seems to 

 forget that she is entrusted with the charge: she 

 is equally regardless of them when excluded; 

 she leads them to the pond, and thinks she has 

 sufficiently provided for her offspring when she 

 has shown them the water. Whatever advan- 

 tages may be procured by coming near the 

 house, or attending in the yard, she declines 

 them all ; and often lets the vermin, who haunt 

 the waters destroy them, rather than take shelter 

 nearer home. The hen is a nurse of a very op- 

 posite character ; she broods with the utmost as- 

 siduity, and generally brings forth a young one 

 from every egg committed to her charge; she 

 does not lead them to the water indeed, but she 

 carefully guards them when there by standing at 

 the brink. Should the rat or the weazel attempt 

 to seize them, the hen instantly gives them pro- 

 tection ; she leads them to the house when tired 

 with paddling, and rears up the suppositions 

 brood, without ever suspecting that they bejpng 

 to another. 



