THE DUCK. 
369 
down, and attend them when feeding : these old birds are so 
well trained, that at the given signal in the evening, they 
return in the utmost haste with their young broods. This 
signal is a whistle, on the sound of which the whole flock 
sets itself in motion, waddling in regular order towards their 
boat. The first Duck that enters is rewarded with some 
favourite food ; the last is whipped as an idler : so that it is 
a comical sight to see the last birds, as if knowing what will 
happen to the last of all, making efforts to fly over the 
hacks of others, and get on hoard the boat in time to escape 
punishment. 
We should he surprised to see our domestic Ducks perch 
amongst the branches of trees, adjacent to their roosting- 
places, and there pass the night; hut though this seems 
impracticable for our species, there are, nevertheless, many 
others of the wild sort, that not only roost perching, hut 
rear their young in trees. Captain Cook was surprised to 
find the Whistling- Ducks doing so, near Endeavour Eiver, 
in New Holland ; and in various parts of the world similar 
nests are found in these unexpected situations. 
In America, the Anas sjoonsa, or Summer-Duck, builds 
in the hollows of trees, at a considerable height from the 
ground, from which the young ones, soon after they are 
hatched, descend and make the best of their way to the 
water. The Wood-Ducks, also an American species, are 
continually to be seen, during the breeding season, flying 
between the upper parts of the Mississippi and the woods 
where they build. Our common Wild-Duck, in a similar 
manner (though, according to the general habit of those 
birds whose young leave the nest as soon as hatched, she 
generally deposits her eggs upon the ground), at times 
departs from this practice, and follows the example of the 
above foreign species. 
In Sussex, a nest was found in an oak-tree, five-and- 
twenty feet from the ground; the old bird was sitting 
upon nine eggs, supported by some small twigs, laid 
crossways. 
B B 
