THE GUN AT HOME AND ABROAD 
General distribution . — The mallard, or common wild duck, is to be 
found over the greater part of the northern hemisphere; throughout 
Europe it is generally distributed, and breeds in suitable localities from 
the Arctic Circle southwards to the Mediterranean and North Africa. 
It occurs in Madeira, the Canaries and Azores, and a few pairs remain 
to nest in the last-named group. In Asia it occurs from Turkestan to 
China and Japan, and breeds as far south as Kashmir, visiting India 
and Burma in winter. It is abundant in Iceland in summer. In North 
America it nests from Alaska to Greenland southwards, and in winter 
is found as far south as Mexico, and in Central America as far as Panama. 
The Greenland birds have recently been separated, but the differences 
ascribed to them appear to be extremely doubtful and are probably due 
to age, younger female birds having the under parts much more heavily 
spotted than the adults. 
Distribution in the British Isles . — ^In the British Isles the mallard is resi- 
dent and generally distributed, but the numbers that breed are few com- 
pared with the hosts that annually visit this country from the Continent 
during the winter -months. 
Nest and eggs . — ^The nest, of grass and leaves lined with down, is usually 
placed on the ground among long grass, bushes or heather near a lake, 
river or stream : many other situations are also resorted to, such as 
hollow trees many feet from the ground, the tops of pollard willows, and 
old nests of other birds — ^wood-pigeons, rooks, crows, etc. — are some- 
times utilized. The eggs, which are laid between the end of March and 
the middle of May, vary in number from eight to twelve ; they are pale 
greyish-green or yellowish -green, more rarely cream-colour, and measure 
about 2 '25 by 1 *6 inches. Incubation lasts from twenty-six to twenty-eight 
days. 
The mallard is omnivorous and is principally a night -feeder; its flesh 
is excellent. 
?^In a wild state the mallard is generally monogamous, and sometimes 
inter -breeds with the pintail, more rarely with the wigeon and gadwall, 
the^offspring being fertile. 
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