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CHAPTER XVII. 
Duck Tribe — Management of — Chinese Mode. — Wild-Ducks 
building in Trees — Affection of. — Eider Ducks — How Caught. 
— Duck Shooters. — Danger attending Decoys. 
I T would lead us far beyond our limits to notice all the 
Duck tribes, which are third on the generic list of this 
division ; a few particulars must suffice. Much that has 
been said upon the treatment of Geese applies equally to 
Ducks, which, under judicious management, might be made 
a source of great profit to the cottager ; and we are assured, 
on the authority of a practical rural economist, that water is 
by no means indispensable ; so far from it, indeed, that, 
instead of being absolutely necessary, it is often injurious to 
the young, and that, in fact, they should never be suffered 
to swim till more than a month old; that, instead of 
allowing young Ducks to go out in the morning to eat 
slugs and worms, they should be kept up, since this food, 
notwithstanding their partiality for it, is injurious ; and 
that grass, corn, white cabbages, and lettuces, cut when half 
ripe, and flung down in the haulm or stalk, will make the 
finest Ducks for the market and the table. When young, 
they should be fed upon barley-meal, or curds, and kept in a 
warm place in the night-time. 
By attention and care, much more, we are persuaded, 
may be done in the general management, as well as im- 
provement, of our domestic birds. We have been assured, 
for example, that the people in some parts of Buckingham- 
shire derive considerable profit from their peculiar skill in 
breeding and rearing Ducks. They contrive to reverse the 
order of nature, and by a restriction of food, or other means, 
prevent them from laying till October or ’November. Some 
weeks before the time they wish them to lay, they feed 
