COURTSHIP OF DUCKS AND NOTES ON HYBRIDS. 693 
II. 
COURTSHIP OF DUCKS AND NOTES ON 
HYBRIDS, WITH ILLUSTRATIONS. 
By Hugh Wormald, M.B.O.U- 
Read November 25th, 1913. 
By far the most interesting time of year in which to watch 
ducks is the breeding season, when the attitudes assumed by 
the various species during courtship will well repay a careful 
study. We will commence with the British Surface-feeding 
ducks, taking first the Mallard as being the best known. 
Mallards seem to have five distinct postures in their spring 
“show.” The performance usually begins by four or five 
drakes swimming round a duck with their heads sunk and their 
necks drawn back, and in this attitude they have the appearance 
of being most unconcerned. This I will call action No. 1. 
After swimming round in this fashion for some little time, the 
Mallards will altogether, as though by some concerted signal, 
suddenly lower their bills so that the tips of them are under 
the surface of the water ; at the same time they raise their 
breasts so that their necks are stretched out downwards in 
front of them. Then, standing upright on the water, they 
rapidly pass their bills up their breasts, so sharply that a tiny 
jet of water is jerked up by the sudden removal of the bill 
from the water. Mr. J. G. Millais in his beautiful work, “ The 
Natural History of British Surface-feeding Ducks,” page 6, 
says : — “ All the drakes simultaneously stand up in the water 
and rapidly pass their bills down their breasts ; ” but after very 
careful observation, I have satisfied myself that he is in error 
here, and I am quite certain that they pass their bills up their 
breasts as described. In fact, I have since talked the matter 
over with Mr. Millais, and he agreed that his was a false 
description. The Mallard, while performing action No. 2, as 
I will designate it, utters a low note rather difficult to describe, 
