and neck of dark glossy green. The shoulders exhibit two large black
spots; a patch on the breast, the centre of the back, the wing-covers,
side of the body and upper portion of the tail are pure white. The centre
of the breast and belly are greyish black; a broad band on the neck,
and some of the upper secondaries are of a bright reddish brown. The
lower tail-covers are yellowish; the quills blackish grey, and the wings
decorated with a metallic green patch. The eye is dark rust-red, the beak
carmine-red, and foot flesh-brown. This species is two feet long, and
three feet and a half broad; the wing measures fourteen inches, and the
tail four inches and a half. The female is similarly but less beautifully
coloured. In young birds the nape is grey, the upper part of the back
and under side are yellowish grey; there is also no band upon their
breasts. The range of the Sheldrake extends north to about the middle of
Sweden, and south as far as North Africa, where they are to be met with
on every lake during the winter, and make their appearance in countless
multitudes. They are likewise numerous upon the coasts of China and Japan,
as well as upon the great lakes of Siberia and Central Asia; nevertheless,
they decidedly prefer salt water to fresh, and are always most abundant
upon the sea itself, or upon salt-water lakes. In Great Britain these
birds are indigenous, and breed upon every part of the coast. Even in
extensive collections of water-fowl, where various species of Ducks are
seen in close proximity to each other, the Sheldrakes are conspicuously
beautiful; but when seen swimming on the sea or crowding the surface of
some large lake, the eye is enchanted with the variety and elegance of
their movements. In Africa they add an unspeakable charm to the lake
scenery, the brilliancy and liveliness of their colours rendering them
prominent objects at a very considerable distance. Even upon the islands
near Schleswig, Jutland, and Denmark, where they are almost household
birds, they invariably call forth the admiration of the beholder. In
their general habits they bear some resemblance to the Brahminy Ducks
before described; their gait, however, is somewhat heavier, and they swim
with greater facility. In their voices there is no resemblance whatever
between the two species. The call-note of the female is a loud "Quack,"
and that of the male a deep "Koer," while during the pairing season they
give utterance to a peculiar whistle. Their food is preferably vegetable,
consisting of the tender parts of seaweeds and other plants which abound
in salt water; they will likewise eat grass, and when in confinement
occasionally devour small fishes, molluscs, and small crustaceans; neither
do they altogether refuse flesh. These birds seek their food less by
swimming than by wading. As the tide recedes they may be seen running like
shore-birds just at the margin of the water, and carefully examining the
contents of every little pool. During the morning they visit the fields,
in order to hunt for insects and grubs, as well as for vegetable matter;
they sometimes for a like purpose resort to marshes and swampy places. The
Common Sheldrakes construct their nests only in holes or burrows excavated
in the earth. "Whoever has been much in the vicinity of the sea-coast,"
says Bodinus, "will probably have observed with surprise that a pair or
two of these birds, seen at the distance of half a mile or so, in some
open spot, suddenly disappear in a most unaccountable manner, and on
visiting the place will find that they have taken refuge underground, in
some hole formed by a fox, badger, or rabbit; nay, more, that they have
positively taken up their abode in this strange locality even while its
formidable four-footed occupant is actually in possession of the premises.
It is now an undeniable fact, established by the concurrent testimony of
numerous observers, that the Sheldrake and the fox not unfrequently dwell
in the same hole, and that the latter, who spares no other bird, does
not molest or injure its adventurous lodger." We have certainly not been
able to verify this statement by personal observations, and have moreover
found on one occasion the wings and feathers of a Sheldrake lying close
to a hole inhabited by a fox; but there was nothing to show that the fox
had been the murderer, even under circumstances so suspicious, seeing
that the spot was in the vicinity of a wood much frequented by Hawks and
other birds of prey. Were we asked why the bloodthirsty quadruped should
thus spare the poor Duck, we should confidently reply that it was on
account of the extraordinary courage of the bird. We have ourselves seen
a young Sheldrake, not many days old, defend itself valorously against
animals of large size, such as fowls, small dogs, and rabbits. Instead
of running away, it showed a bold front, holding its neck outstretched,
angrily repelling every attack, and never seeming to think of retreating
until its assailant had retired. The old birds, more especially during the
breeding season, are equally courageous; the male stands bravely forward,
and confronts his opponent with loud hisses, until, daunted by his angry,
threatening demeanour, the enemy sneaks away. Having put his adversary to
flight, he returns to his mate, who stands up nobly to assist her spouse,
and both give utterance to their mutual congratulations over the victory
in loud screams and frequent caresses.
The following particulars concerning the breeding of these birds, by the
forester Grömelbein, will be read with interest. Towards the end of May,
Grömelbein, while busily employed in a wood at some distance from the
coast, observed a pair of Sheldrakes that flew around his party several
times in succession, and as often flew towards and alighted on a hill of
sand at some little distance, where the male always stationed himself as
if to keep watch, while the female leisurely entered a hole, in which she
remained about a quarter of an hour. When she again came to the surface
she approached her mate, and after apparently holding a consultation
they both took a circular flight into some neighbouring fields, where
they alighted on spots quite remote from each other, evidently for the
purpose of misleading anyone who might be watching their movements. On
observing this manœuvre, Grömelbein hastened to the hill, and there found
the hole of a fox, at the entrance of which were numerous footmarks of
the fox and of the Ducks, together with recent excreta from both. After
watching the birds, however, for some days, it was discovered that, with
the view of deceiving the men, they had only made a pretence of having
their nest in the hole above mentioned, and that their real residence was
another much larger excavation, in the joint occupation of a bitch-fox
and a badger. This second hole being carefully watched, it was seen that
the badger was in the habit of walking in and out of his abode, which was
subsequently found to be ten feet deep, without troubling himself at all
about his feathered visitors, whose footmarks were traceable to a depth
of seven feet. There were, however, other holes belonging to the same
den, through which the fox was also in the habit of passing. The ground
before these entrances was trampled smooth by the feet of the Ducks, and
as clearly impressed with the footmarks of the fox. On perceiving this,
Grömelbein concealed himself behind a wall in such a manner as to be able
to watch all their proceedings, nor had he long to wait before he saw the
sly Sheldrakes paying their accustomed visit to the labourers and the
sand-hill above mentioned; after which, flying close to the ground, they
came to the real nesting-place, when, after carefully looking around them,
they walked into the fox-hole as quietly and unconsciously as Ducks in a
farmyard would go to their roosting-place. There they remained about half
an hour, when they again made their appearance, climbed hastily to the
top of the hill beneath which the den was situated, and finding, as they
thought, the coast clear, flew off to the meadows.
In the Island of Sylt and others off the coast of Schleswig, the
inhabitants construct artificial burrows, covered with movable lids, near
which at the proper season they place quantities of broom and moss, so
that the coming birds may find everything ready. These consequently take
up their abode in the prepared burrows without the slightest scruple, and
that sometimes quite close to the houses of their owners; nay, they at
length become so familiarised with their keepers that they may be said
to be in a state of semi-domestication. In these burrows the females,
if not disturbed, will lay from seven to twelve large, smooth, white,
thin-shelled eggs; but if the eggs are gradually taken from the nest, as
they are at Sylt, the females will go on laying till they have laid twenty
or thirty. When the mother bird begins to sit, she carefully surrounds her
eggs with down, and when she leaves her nest covers them with the same
warm material. After the lapse of about twenty-six days, the young make
their appearance, and soon follow their mother to the neighbouring moors,
generally stopping, however, to have a swim in a pond of fresh water
that is found on the road thither. To the inhabitants of Sylt and other
islands in the North Sea, it appears, therefore, that the Sheldrakes are
objects of considerable attention. The eggs serve as important additions
to their table; and the down from their nests, scarcely inferior to that
of the Eider, is extremely valuable. The flesh of these birds is not much
esteemed, having a rancid or oily taste and a disagreeable smell; they
are therefore never killed, but, on the contrary, are protected by the
inhabitants of the islands they frequent.
* * * * *
The TREE DUCKS (_Dendrocygna_) form a group having a high slender body,
moderately long neck, delicately-shaped head, and weak bill; the legs are
long, the wings blunt, with the third and fourth quills longer than the
rest; the tail is rounded at its extremity, and the plumage variegated.
THE WIDOW DUCK.
[Illustration: THE WIDOW DUCK (_Dendrocygna viduata_). ONE-FOURTH NATURAL
SIZE.]
The WIDOW DUCK (_Dendrocygna viduata_) has the face and throat white,
shaded with reddish brown on the brow and cheeks; the back of head,
nape, and sides of the neck are bright reddish brown; the sides of the
breast and the back reddish olive, darkly spotted and marked; the long
lower shoulder-feathers are olive-brown edged with yellowish white; the
lower back, centre of tail, and entire under side below the breast are
black; the sides of the body are greyish white, striped with blackish
brown; the upper wing-covers are bright reddish brown; secondary quills
olive-brown, with green edges, and the quills and tail-feathers greenish
black; the eye is reddish brown, beak black, with a dark grey stripe
near its nail-like tip; the foot is lead-grey. This species is eighteen
inches long and thirty-two inches broad; the wing measures eight inches
and three-quarters, the tail two inches and two-thirds. The female
closely resembles her mate. All travellers who have visited South America
describe this bird as occurring in amazing multitudes, more especially
in the marshy grounds of the prairies; and travellers in Africa assert
that it is equally abundant in the southern and western regions of that
continent. Upon the Upper Blue Nile we have ourselves several times met
with it in extraordinarily large flocks, which, in closely-packed ranks,
covered the banks of the river to a great distance, and when they rose
into the air had the appearance of a dense cloud. Heuglin states that the
males and females of these birds remain constantly separate from each
other; such a statement, however, we can positively contradict, seeing
that we have killed individuals of both sexes at a single shot. We are
by no means well informed as to the history of these birds, and about
their mode of breeding we know little or nothing certainly. The Widow
Duck is distinguishable among its congeners by a gait which sometimes
resembles that of a Goose, as also by the heaviness of its flight, but
more particularly by its predilection for sandbanks and sandy places upon
the riverside, to which, when driven away, it invariably returns. The
Prince von Wied tells us that at Sertong, in the province of Bahia, it is
very abundant in swampy, overflooded meadows, also in marshes, as well as
in lakes and other open sheets of water; it is, likewise, often to be seen
upon the sea-coast. As regards the latter statement, however, Schomburghk
expressly says that he has never met with it on the sea-coast, but that
in the swamps of Savannah it is particularly numerous, and with this our
experience in Africa quite coincides. Of their behaviour Schomburghk
gives a very pleasing sketch:--"The pretty little Bisisi Ducks," says
that writer, "seem to be under a ban in this neighbourhood; no sooner
did we see a flock of them than men jumped at once into the water almost
up to their necks, and began to shoot with their well-directed arrows as
rapidly as possible into the thickest part of the flock. If the birds flew
high, so that they could see the arrows, the flock immediately parted,
just like a swarm of Passenger Pigeons when a Hawk swoops upon them. In
the confusion of their flight they broke each other's wings, and many
of them fell to the ground stunned and wounded. When two flocks of them
met, the hubbub was still greater. I have on such occasions seen as many
as five or even eight of them fall to the ground together, although only
one of them had been hit by an arrow; and when a flock of them, under
such circumstances, came within range of my gun, I have not unfrequently
brought down ten or a dozen of them at one shot." We learn further from
Schomburghk that these Ducks are very easily tamed, and the Indians
generally keep them domesticated in the neighbourhood of their dwellings.
THE WILD DUCK.
The WILD DUCK (_Anas boschas_) represents a group characterised by their
powerful body, short neck, broad slightly-raised bill, which terminates
in a decidedly-curved and nail-like tip; their moderately high feet,
placed in the centre of the body, and furnished with long toes; and their
rounded tail--the feathers on the upper covers of which curl upwards. The
coloration of the plumage varies considerably in the sexes. In the male
bird the head and upper neck are green; the fore part of the breast is
brown, shaded with a variety of tints; the shoulder-feathers are greyish
white; the back is a mixture of black and brown; the upper wings are
decorated with a patch of fine blue, bordered with white; the lower back
and rump are blackish green, and the rest of the under side greyish white,
delicately lined with black; a narrow white band divides the green throat
from the reddish brown breast; the upper wing-covers are blackish green,
the lower covers deep black, and the quills dark grey. The eye is light
brown, beak greenish yellow, and foot pale red. During the autumn the
male assumes a dress similar to that of the female. The latter is reddish
grey, darkly spotted on the head and neck; her crown is blackish brown,
and back brown, its feathers marked and edged with various shades of grey,
yellow, and black. The lower throat and crop are light chestnut-brown,
decorated with black crescent-shaped patches; the rest of the under side
is spotted with brown. This fine bird is twenty-four inches long and forty
inches broad; the wing measures eleven inches and the tail three and a
half. The Wild Duck well deserves the epithet _Communis_, applied to it
by some writers, seeing that its range extends not only over the northern
hemisphere in the vicinity of the Pole, but during the winter extends
southwards to the very verge of the torrid zone. In the extreme north it
must be regarded as a bird of passage, seeing that on the approach of
winter it migrates regularly towards the south, returning again northwards
when the intensity of the cold has abated. In more southern countries it
is merely a wanderer. In October and November the Wild Ducks assemble
in large flocks, and commence their migrations towards more hospitable
climates; most of them make their way as far as Italy, Greece, and Spain;
some even visit Northern Africa, or corresponding latitudes on the
Asiatic continent. In the vicinity of the lakes of Southern Europe they
may about this time be seen arriving in flocks of thousands and hundreds
of thousands, when they alight upon the water, covering a space of half
a square league in extent; and when they rise all at once into the air,
producing a rushing sound, audible at a great distance, and resembling the
roar of the surf on a storm-beaten shore. In February, or at the latest
in March, they commence their return journey, hence they are sometimes
called on the Continent "March Ducks." It is only occasionally that they
are to be seen upon the sea-coast. These must be considered as strictly
belonging to the race of fresh-water Ducks, and it is to lakes and ponds
thickly covered with sedges and water-plants that they most generally
resort. Waters which are here and there free from herbage, more especially
if overhung at the sides with bushes and marsh-plants, afford them their
favourite resort, and it is in such places that they generally pass
the winter and rear their progeny; in similar localities they likewise
procure the greater part of their food, and from thence make little
excursions to the ponds and lakes, ditches and fields, that may happen
to be in the vicinity. They are very seldom seen upon open waters, but
generally seek the shelter of little islands and shallow places overgrown
with water-plants, where, half running and half wading, they can search
with their beaks for whatever nutriment is to be found. Wild Ducks may
be classed with the most gluttonous birds with which we are acquainted.
They devour the leaves and tender tops of water-plants, the buds, young
shoots, and ripe seeds, being in turn equally acceptable; and are likewise
exceedingly fond of the different kinds of corn and of bulbous roots.
They, moreover, eagerly hunt after all sorts of small animals, from worms
and snails to tadpoles, frogs, and fishes; they seem, indeed, to be
always suffering from the pangs of hunger, and so long as they are awake
are constantly endeavouring to alleviate them. In their general habits
the Wild Ducks closely resemble our tame species, which are in reality
their lineal descendants; the tame Ducks are, however, far behind their
progenitors in watchfulness, energy, and vigour. They swim, dive, and
fly much in the same manner, but decidedly better than tame Ducks; their
voice, likewise, is precisely similar. The loud, short "Quack" of the
female, and the duller "Quack" of the male; the conversational "Weck,
weck," and the call-note, "Wack, wack;" the alarm-cry, "Katsch," or "Rab,
rab;" in short, all the sounds with which we are familiar in the tame
Ducks are exactly repeated by their wild relatives. Soon after their
arrival, the Wild Ducks begin to choose their mates, the selection of
course involving many a battle between the rival males; but their partners
do not need to be won by a prolonged courtship. Their habit of associating
in large flocks is at once laid aside, and they attach themselves to their
spouses with ardent devotion. The place selected for the nest is generally
some quiet, retired, dry spot under a bush or concealed by herbage, and
very generally near the water, but sometimes at a considerable distance
from it. Occasionally and, indeed, not unfrequently, they will take
possession of some nest placed in a tree--such, for example, as that
of a Crow. Their proper nest is constructed of the stems and leaves of
various plants, loosely put together, so as to present internally a
rounded cavity, which at a subsequent period is warmly lined with down
and feathers. The brood consists of from eight to sixteen eggs, of a
somewhat elongated shape, hard, smooth-shelled, and of a greyish white
colour; in fact, exactly similar to those of the domesticated Duck. The
period of incubation, during which the female, who alone broods, sits
with the greatest patience and self-devotion, extends over from twenty
to twenty-eight days. The newly-hatched young ones remain perhaps for a
single day in the nest, and are then taken to the water. Those that are
born in a nest placed at a considerable elevation simply spring out and
fall upon the ground, without receiving the slightest injury. It is quite
a mistake to say, as some writers have done, that they are carried down by
their mother in her beak.
During the first few days of their lives they endeavour to conceal
themselves as much as possible among the reeds and water-plants; and it
is only when their wings have to be tried that they venture to show
themselves in open water. Meanwhile the mother takes the greatest pains
to conceal them from observation. In case of danger she makes every
endeavour to draw it upon herself, or if the assailants are such as to
make it at all practicable, she flies at them with the utmost fury, and
uses every effort to drive them away. The young brood follow her with
every demonstration of affection; they watch her slightest warning, listen
to every sound she utters, and when bidden, at once hide themselves among
weeds or sink down between the inequalities of the ground. Their growth is
exceedingly rapid, so that in about six weeks they are able to fly.
[Illustration: THE WILD DUCK (_Anas boschas_).]
Whilst the mother is thus busily employed in defending and instructing
her offspring, the male Duck gives himself very little trouble about his
family; sometimes he takes another mate, but if this is not the case, he
joins his male companions in their recreations on the water. Even before
the eggs are hatched, the old birds begin to moult their feathers, and
soon exchange their beautiful nuptial dress for the duller plumage in
which they appear during the four months of summer, after which, partly by
moulting, and partly by change of colour in their feathers, they resume
their splendid autumnal garb. At this latter period the young birds
likewise undergo their first moult, after which the family becomes again
united. Both parents and their progeny remain together during the autumn,
and ultimately fly in company with each other to their winter quarters.
[Illustration: _Plate 37. Cassell's Book of Birds_
AIX GALERICULATA ____ MANDARIN DUCK
(_about 5/8 Nat. size_)]
[Illustration: THE WOOD OR SUMMER DUCK (_Aix sponsa_). ONE-FOURTH NATURAL
SIZE.]
The flesh of these birds is so surpassingly excellent, that the chase
after them is everywhere carried on with unrelenting perseverance. It
would lead us too far from our subject were we here even to glance at the
multiplied contrivances whereby they are killed or captured, sometimes
in immense numbers. The markets of Italy, Greece, Spain, and Egypt,
are, during the winter season, filled to overflowing with Ducks of all
descriptions, among which the Wild Duck is by far the most plentiful; they
are then everywhere to be purchased for a few pence. In Greece, however,
the mode of catching them is somewhat peculiar. On many of the lakes in
that country, which are for the most part covered with vegetation, there
are generally long patches of open water, indicating those parts which
are too deep to allow of the growth of plants from the bottom. As winter
sets in these open spaces are closed by nets prepared for the purpose, and
during the passage of the Ducks the evenings are devoted to their capture.
When it begins to grow dark, two boats, efficiently manned, and each of
them furnished with a lantern and a bell, put off in opposite directions
towards the enclosed space, and as they row slowly along, display their
lanterns, ring their bells, and thus drive before them the Ducks which,
instead of taking flight, crowd outwards towards the nets, with which they
are ultimately enclosed. From Von der Mühle and Lindermayer we learn that
they are sometimes also taken by means of a casting-net. To accomplish
this, the sportsmen, having ascertained the position of the Ducks, row
slowly towards them with muffled oars, at the same time occupying their
attention by displaying a lighted lantern suspended at the end of a long
pole, carried at the bow of the boat. The curiosity of the Ducks being
thus excited, they approach the light in great numbers without seeing
their enemies below, who thus succeed in throwing a net over them, and
capturing a score or so at a single haul.
THE WOOD OR SUMMER DUCK.