M A L L A R I). 
ANAS BOSCUAS. 
Though seldom seen in such immense flocks as the Wigeon, the Mallard is perhaps the best known of all 
British Wildfowl, In every county throughout England and Scotland, and in most of the surrounding islands, 
this species breeds ; and though their numbers have decreased of late years, there is still an abundant stock left. 
I was doubtful for some time whether Mallard or AVild Duck was the most suitable title for this species ; 
but as Yarrell, Seebohm, and several other authors use the former, it was adopted. Seebohm, in liis ‘ History of 
British Birds,’ when referring to the Mallard, relates many facts concerning the derivation of various names, and 
I have made a short extract from his work, bearing on this subject : — 
“ The formation of language is a process of evolution, and the meaning of words, when it has been 
definitely settled by custom, must be accepted without a too close inquiry into their derivation. The word 
horse is masculine, and mare is feminine ; but when we speak of twenty horses it is not implied that there 
were no mares among them, the word horse being applied by custom in a special generic sense to include both 
sexes, hut to exclude asses, cows, or any other quadruped. In precisely the same manner the word Mallard is 
used in a special specific sense to include both the male and female AVild Duck, to the exclusion of Shovellers, 
Pintails, or any other species of bird. Malart is a Erench word meaning drake, in contradistinction to 
Canard, which means duck. Possibly the word Alallard is a corruption of male-canard ; but it has been used 
for a century to designate the species of Duck which is most common in a domesticated state, and may be 
applied to both male and female. In precisely the same way, when we speak of a Bean-Goose, we mean a 
definite species of Goose, irrespective of sex. It would be absurdly pedantic to speak of a flock composed of 
Bean-Geese and Bean-Ganders,” 
AAhiile residing at Eerrygate, a farm-house near Yorth Berwick in East Lothian, to acquire a knowledge of 
agriculture, I soon ascertained that AATld Ducks were exceedingly abundant in that locality. The only means of 
getting a shot, however, was by awaiting their arrival at flight-time, the whole of the day being generally passed 
by the birds out on the open waters of the Firth, where they were utterly unapproachable. The potatoe-flelds 
were one of their favourite feeding-grounds, and here several shots were often obtained, the hungry Ducks 
returning after being fired at, and others putting in an appearance till long after dark. On Gullane Links, a 
few miles further west, pits had been dug out in the sand round the pools to which the birds resorted, and 
sometimes very good sport was the result of a visit to this spot. In the hard winter of 18G3, when passing the 
curling-pond at Dirleton, I saw the marks on the ice where a Alallard drake and two ducks bad rested 
and been frozen on the surface. It was evident that the drake and one duck had been surprised and killed 
while held captive, as feathers and blood were on the ice; probably a fox or a dog had committed the 
murder. One cold night in December, the same winter, I was watching a frozen pool on Gullane Links at 
flight-time, close to a running stream, which was kept open and likely to attract fowl. There was a small gap 
in the bank, and having brought a rug, I sat down in the excavation to await the course of events. But few 
