On the Rearing of Ducks for Shooting 137 
placed cut-winged wild ducks to the number of 400 to 500, there being two drakes to every 
ten ducks. Each enclosure was divided into four portions, and again into four more. In 
each pen a careful record of the sitting ducks was kept, and when at twenty-four days the 
eggs began to chip, the duck was taken off the nest and put in a coop with her own young 
ones, carried to the rearing field, and eventually to the ponds and streams. This experiment 
was only to try the wild duck as a mother, and it proved but a partial success, because the 
mothers themselves were hand-reared, therefore more or less useless. In addition, a number 
of duck were reared under hens. In 1899 these methods were further extended, and the 
enormous number of 5532 were killed in the season, separate days at the three principal 
shooting-places totalling 407, 756, 849, 261, 543, 736, 315, 303, 80, 357, 341, 116, and 180 
birds. 
In 1890, 4329 duck were killed; and in 1901, 4233 were bagged, in addition to 831 
rock-pigeons. The latter bred more or less naturally on the rocky banks of the Carwinley 
Burn, and were trapped in small numbers at the same time that the duck were being driven, 
so that the shooters had the unique experience of a mixed duck and pigeon drive. 
The year 1902 may be described as the great one, the six best days being as follows : 
Date. 
Beat. 
Number of 
Duck Killed. 
October 14 . 
15 • 
,, 16 . 
November 25 
„ 26 
» 27 
Red Bank and river 
Gap 
Carwinley Burn 
Gap 
Carwinley Burn 
Red Bank and river 
1 141 
I195 
1250 
464 
801 
1319 
6170 
Sir Richard was now satisfied that a large stock of duck could be raised and shot by 
artificial methods, but he had found that the wild duck as a mother was no better than the 
foster-mother hen ; accordingly, he looked for other means of rearing ducks that were less 
artificial and more in accordance with Nature. 
To most of us who love birds and wish to preserve them, it is obvious that first of 
all we must have (i) an area of ground or water suitable for their requirements ; (2) perfect 
peace and freedom from disturbance ; (3) abundance of food ; and (4) immunity from the 
attacks of man and vermin. If we have these essentials (and they are to be found every- 
- where), we can in time get almost any birds to stay and breed with us provided we start 
with a nucleus. A simple instance of this is the abundance of Gulls, Wood-Pigeons and 
Tufted Ducks in the London parks to-day. More uncongenial or unattractive places it would 
be difficult to find a few years ago, and yet within these areas are now little enclosures, 
fenced off, where man cannot invade, and here these species (except the Gulls) first bred, 
or had sanctuary, and found an abundance of food, which the Nature-loving public greatly 
supplements. When I was a boy it was impossible to see anything in the London parks 
but very dirty London sparrows ; but spring to-day in London is almost as pleasant as 
the country, with its beautiful gardens and its flocks of Ducks, Wood-Pigeons and Gulls, 
making life joyous with their happy calls. 
Having selected the place you wish to make a bird sanctuary, the only difficulty is to 
VOL. II. c 
