CONTENTS 
THE MALLARD 
Present Increase due to the Wild Birds' Protection Act — Distribution — Omnivorous Habits — Diving Powers 
of Immatures — Reasoning Powers — A Clever Trick — Lakes in the Park at Woburn Abbey — Courtship of 
the Mallard — Conducted by Both Sexes — Nesting Sites — How the Young Descend from Trees — Habits 
during the Nesting Season — Survival of the Fittest — Cruel to be Kind — Anecdote of the Unnatural 
Mother and the Kind-hearted Widow — Differences in Disposition — The Delicateness of Young Ducks — 
Nature's Umbrella — Mother Duck's Instinct in estimating Character — Forays for Food after Rain — 
Enemies — Old Drakes in July — Their Loss of Power to fly and Eventual Renewal of Plumage — An 
Equable Disposition — Powers of Sight — Fears of Attack by Raptorials — Gregariousness — Protection — Latter- 
day Duck-rearing — Description of Adult Male in Spring Plumage — Change of Plumage of Adult Male from 
Spring Dress to the Eclipse, and Eclipse into the Winter Dress — Young Mallard Drake — How He obtains 
Full Winter Dress in about Five Months — The Immature Female— The Adult Female — Types and Changes 
of Plumage i 
THE GADWALL 
Distribution — An Increasing Species in the British Islands — Less Marine than Mallard in Habits — Call-notes — 
Flight — General Appearance — Habits — Courtship of the Gadwall — Choice of Nesting Sites — In Confinement 
— Remarks on Keeping Waterfowl — Hybrids — Plumage of Adult Male Gadwall in Spring — Passage of 
Plumage of Male from Youth to Maturity — He assumes the Eclipse Plumage in May — Female Gadwall — 
Points of Identification . . . . . . . . . .29 
THE WIGEON 
Distribution — Increasing in the British Isles as a Nesting Species — In Britain the Wigeon becomes a Nocturnal 
Feeder owing to Persecution— How a Pack approach Feeding Grounds — Diet — Its Effect — Jackals to 
Larger Birds — Courtship — Pugnacity— Probably breeds whilst still in Immature Plumage — Nesting Habits — 
Bachelor Males — Call-notes — Hybrids — Plumage — Change of Young Male Wigeon from Birth to Maturity — 
Adult Male in Spring and in Eclipse Dress — Female Wigeon from Youth to Maturity — Types of Adults — 
Proneness to assume Male Garb 38 
THE AMERICAN WIGEON 
Distribution — Habits of the 'Bald-pate' — Modes of Shooting in the United States — Restless Habits — Food — 
Nesting Sites — Plumage — Adult Male — Adult Female . 
