Practical Game-Preserving. 258 



be handled, it is advisable to make clear one or two points 

 in the birds' natural habits. Wild duck proper only 

 fly from one water to another, and during the daytime 

 they prefer to assemble with numbers of others of their 

 kind, and resort to out-of-the-way and secluded ponds, or 

 to extensive open sheets of water, where they will pass the 

 time dozing and sleeping or swimming about, contenting 

 themselves until the day begins to wane, when they wake 

 up to increased activity and fly to their feeding-grounds. 

 The real wild duck feed almost solely at night-time, and 

 any attempt on the part of the rearer of these fowl to 

 induce them to do otherwise is sure to result in the loss of 

 his birds. It must be borne in mind, too, that as a rule 

 wild duck are reared for other than ornamental purposes 

 for shooting, in fact and unless they fly well, get up 

 speedily, and are away quickly, they possess little or no 

 merit from the sportsman's point of view. No one rear- 

 ing wild duck then need fear their flying away to other 

 waters, and resorting with other ducks, provided it is 

 known that they will return to their own haunts, and be 

 found there when required. To ensure this being the 

 case, and that the ducks shall fly well, a proper system of 

 feeding is required. 



As soon, then, as the ducks come to their one feeding- 

 time per day, which will be as soon as they exhibit a 

 disposition for flight, the feeding-time must be fixed for 

 the evening, just before or as darkness is setting in. The 

 ducks will then be lively and fresh, ready for their meal, 

 and content to remain where they are after they have had 

 it. It must not be supposed that in a state of nature wild 

 ducks obtain all their food within a short space of time ; 

 on the contrary, they are feeding or searching for food off 

 and on during nearly all the night-time. The same pro- 

 gramme is necessary for those reared by hand, and it is 



