THE WILD DUCK, 



A r arieties Similar manners. 



THE WILD DUCK. 



THERE are about twenty different sorts of 

 the wild duck, according to Buffon, and they 

 differ from the tame by hairy yellow feet. 



Wild ducks frequent the marshy places in 

 many parts of this kingdom; but no where in 

 greater plenty than in Lincoln-shire. 



JS T umerous as the varieties of wild ducks may 

 be, they ,ui pursue the same mode, and live in. 

 the sanu: ^nanner, keeping together in flocks in 

 the winter, and flying in pairs in summer, bring- 

 ing up their young by the water-side, and lead- 

 ing them io their food as soon as out of die shell. 

 The nest, whether high or low, is generally com- 

 pose < of sin^'.ilar materials. The iongest grass, 

 mixed with heath, and lined within with the 

 bird's own leathers, usually go to the composi- 

 tion ; however, in proportion as the climate is 

 colder, the nest is more artificially made, and 

 more warmly lined. In the Arctic regions, no- 

 thing can exceed the great care all of this kind 

 take to protect their eggs from the intenseness 

 of the weather. While the gull and the penguin 

 kind seem to disregard the severest cold, the 

 duck,, in those regions, forms itself a hole to lay 

 in, shelters the approach, lines it with a layer of 

 long grass and clay, within that another of moss, 

 and lastly, a warm coat of feathers or down. 



As the whole of this tribe possess the faculties 

 2 B 2 



