THE WILD-DUCK. 
193 
tlie water ; and once we were surprised, on a Sum- 
mer’s morning, at seeing about a dozen of these 
active little nestlings running before our door ; so 
rapid were their motions, that, notwithstanding every 
exertion, they contrived to elude observation, till 
they were tracked in the grass to a small pit about 
two hundred yards off, in a meadow. 
They no doubt had been making for the mere, 
or larger sheet of water, from the spot above men- 
tioned, but had lost their way. There is one species, 
however, which in preference to trees or flat ground, 
selects a very unaccountable accommodation, namely, 
a rabbit-hole. This is the Sheldrake, — a bird by 
no means uncommon on many parts of our coasts. 
She selects, if possible, a burrow near the water, 
in which are laid sometimes sixteen eggs, which 
she carefully covers with the down of her body. 
The eggs may also be easily reared under hens, 
and the young ones may be kept in ponds. We 
have known several thus domesticated ; but al- 
though many other species of Wild-Duck, under 
similar confinement, bred regularly, the Sheldrake 
never was observed to take any steps in preparing a 
nest. 
In a nobleman s menagerie, we have heard, how- 
ever, that they were induced to do so by simply 
burrowing holes about three or four feet deep, like 
rabbit-holes, in the bank, a foot or two above the 
water. The bird thus found her accustomed accom- 
modation, and lost no time in availing herself of it. 
Ducks, too, like Geese, have a strong sense of affec- 
tion : we cannot, indeed, produce instances so strik- 
ing or so interesting as those related of the latter, 
VOL. II. o 
