HE COMMON DUCK. 
13T 
THE COMMON DUCK, or MALLARD. (Anas 
domestica.') 
The Mallard, or original of our domestic Duck, like so 
many other species (says Mr. Nuttall) is common to most 
parts of the northern hemisphere. As a bird of passage/ 
in spring and autumn, it is seen in every part of the United 
States, and indeed inhabits more or less the whole continent, 
from the Gulf of Mexico to the 68th parallel in the fur 
countries of the Canadian wilderness. In Europe it is met 
with everywhere, up to the dreary climates of Greenland, 
where many even pass the greater part of the winter. 
They breed in the inland woody districts of the fur countries, 
and more or less through all the intermediate space as far 
south as Pennsylvania. In England also, as well as in 
Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and all parts of the vast domi- 
nions of Russia, no less than Arctic Europe, and the 
Aleutian Islands in the north Pacific, the Wild Duck is 
known to breed. They nest commonly on the borders of 
rivers and lakes, sometimes at a considerable distance from 
water, amongst reeds, grass, or in fields and copses, accord- 
ing to the convenience of the locality, and occasionally even 
upon trees impending over waters. For its nest it scrapes 
together a small quantity of such dry weeds as happen to 
be contiguous, and lays from ten to eighteen eggs of a 
bluish-white. At the time of incubation, the female plucks 
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