192 
THE WILD-DUCK. 
of a Rook's nest at the top of an oak tree. The 
Drake was also seen to perch on a bough near her, 
and occasionally in her absence sat on the nest. 
In the preserves of the Zoological Gardens, in 
the Regent's-park, London, we saw the nest of a 
Wild-Duck on the roof of a thatched cottage by the 
water side. The keeper was ordered to keep a 
good look-out, in order to see how the young ones 
would contrive to reach the ground ; but they 
eluded his watchfulness by disappearing one morn- 
ing, when he and his family were absent at church. 
It is, indeed, difficult to account for the exceptions 
to the accustomed habits of Wild-Ducks : we should 
suppose, that naturally they would prefer a conve- 
nient spot close to the water, and in such places their 
nests are usually built. Once, indeed, to our sur- 
prise, a nest was found in a patch of high grass, within 
a few feet of the spot where a boat was drawn up ; 
and either so closely had the Duck sat, or so 
cleverly had she timed her visits to and fro, that it 
was not till after some time discovered by a car- 
penter who had been for three or four days on the 
spot, repairing the boat. But, from several other 
circumstances coming under our observation, we 
have reason to believe that they often build at con- 
siderable distances from the waters intended to be 
the permanent nursery for their brood. About a 
mile above this very sheet of water on which the 
boat was repairing, there is a hill covered with 
heather, fern, and plantations ; and more than once 
at early dawn, about four o'clock, in June, broods of 
little dark Wild-Ducklings, just hatched, have been 
seen trotting down the road, leading from the hill to 
