THE WILD DUCK. 
83 
a duck, the third remove from a wild one, which had been carried 
in a basket from the Palls, two miles from Belfast, to his house 
in town. Its wing was either pulled or cut, on being turned into 
his town-yard, where it was kept for four or five weeks. He 
then sent it to my residence in Malone, two miles from Belfast 
in a different direction. It remained there, frequenting a pond 
in my garden, for about three weeks, when it disappeared. On 
going to Belfast, I found, by Mr. Sinclaire, that it had gone home 
to his dam whence it had been brought.” * 
Wild ducks rarely collect into dense flocks, like brent geese 
or wigeon ; they are more scattered, and hence do not offer such 
tempting shots. They — and teal also — differ from those birds 
and from other wild-fowl by suddenly bounding from the water 
right into the air, without giving any warning to the shooter ; 
whereas, the others swim a little off, or give some indication that 
they are about to rise. They continue numerous as ever — at 
least, as for forty years past — in Belfast Bay, visiting it chiefly 
at night, though brent geese, wigeon, and teal have become much 
diminished. In Dublin, too, I learned, in December 1849, that 
they are as abundant as ever in the decoys, &c., whence the mar- 
ket of that city is supplied. They are very highly esteemed for 
the table. In Belfast, the shooters usually get from Is. 3d. to 
Is. 6d. each for them, from the dealers, which is twice as much 
as they do for pochards or scaup ducks. 
In Belfast, the common species of Anatidce are generally pre- 
ferred as food in the following order : — Wild duck, teal, wigeon, 
brent goose, pochard ; the scaup is not very saleable — the tufted 
duck and golden-eye still less so.t The pintail, of which very few 
are obtained, is considered of equal value with the wigeon ; and 
the shoveller, still more rare, does not yield to any species in the 
fine flavour of its flesh. 
* Aug. 3, 1810. — This was communicated to Mrs. Priscilla Wakefield, for her 
* Anecdotes of Animals.’ 
f I have known the golden-eye brought to table at the end of March, when, 
though not too long kept, its smell was so strong and disagreeable, that it had to be 
sent out of the room. 
G 
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