Some Watcrfoivl in Wartime. 
13 
have yet reached their i)re-\var lutmhers. However, birds are 
now coming- in from South America and South Africa, and 
others are being once more offered in Holland, so there are 
]io])es that we may see, this summer, our public ornamental 
waters again alive with their presence. My little collection of 
about fifteen pairs was pretty well wiped out during the war, 
partly by malnutrition, caused by the very indifJerent food with 
which we were able to feed them, and partly by the depredations 
of foxes, which had greatly increased in numbers in this district, 
owing to the cessation of hunting. In spite of these troubles 
a few young ones were reared each year, and were duly exported 
to U.S.A. via Mr. Hamlyn. 
Plioto IV. Shore Biiily. 
Wigcon Sitting. 
We had practically no luck when the eggs were left to the 
parent birds, as they seem to be quite unable to look after more 
than one young one at a time, and, as far as I remember, none 
of my ducks ever reared more than one young one in a season. 
They generally hatch out quite a good troop, but these disappea." 
one by one, until only one is left, victims probably to the 
mm-derous assaults of other Waterfowl, or to prowling rats and 
other vermin. Under hens or in artificial rearers they do much 
