8 
The Natural History of British Ducks 
danger is most to be feared during the day, she rarely leaves her nest except 
at dawn, sunset, or night. 
Wherever the home may be the drake takes care to look after his mate, 
visiting her at least twice a day — at eventide and in the early morning ; but 
four weeks of this (the usual period of incubation) are almost more than he 
can stand. By degrees his visits become less and less frequent if water be 
near ; he contents himself with swimming about within call, while keeping an 
eye open for other drakes similarly engaged, and by the time the young birds 
are hatched he is sick of the whole thing, and away he goes, unless indeed the 
nest be destroyed, in which case he will return to his wife and stay with her 
until she is fairly settled again. Then, at latest, he takes himself off, and 
uniting with other liberated Benedicts, who commonly roam about in parties 
numbering from three or four up to twenty, he holds himself aloof from the 
opposite sex until late in the following autumn. 
As a rule Mallards are monogamous, but if on the same piece of water 
one sex is in a minority during the pairing season, this rule is relaxed, and 
polygamy or polyandry becomes the fashion in duck society. 
As soon as the young birds are hatched and able to look about they are 
taken to the water, where, running swiftly after the numerous insects that 
frequent the shallows, they begin at once to catch their own food. Adult 
Mallard are extraordinarily expert at catching flies. One may often see them 
on a hot summer day catch so swift a creature as a bluebottle as it buzzes 
round or past them. Now and then the mother may abstract and liberate 
from the mud some choice delicacy for the delectation of her family; but, as a 
rule, the youngsters earn their own living, subsisting entirely on such insects 
as they succeed in catching. They must take good care of themselves, too, 
for though the mother bird is very watchful over her brood, especially while 
sitting with them on the shore, she will stand no nonsense with any illness, 
real or affected. The survival of the fittest is the law ingrained in her by 
nature, and woe betide the unhappy duckling who dares to lag behind or 
show any sign of exhaustion. In the vast majority of cases its fate is sealed 
