Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1891-04-30
ABOUT SOME WILD DUCKS.
HABITS OF THE ELDERS AND
VARIOUS OTHERS.
How the Soft Down of the Elder Duck Ii
Secured Away Up In tho North
land-HOw Little Ducklings
Are First Taught.

works and no product of mans handi-
craft so soft, so delicate and so elastic
as the down that grows upon the breast
of the elder duck. 1t is said that one
handful, grasped from quantity OF
this down, will make well-stuffed
baby quilt five feet square, although
the weight of the down is less than
half an ounce.
In building their nests the elder
ducks use bits of sea grass, twigs and
whatever else is available for the walls.
This they plaster on the inside with
clay, so as to make the nest air-tight.
A layer OF the finest grasses, feathers
and other soft materials then covers
the clay, and last the female plucks
from her own breast the delicate down
with which to finish the home for her
ducklings. This down is so valuable
that the natives of Labrador, Splits
bergen and other far northern countries
make great part of their income by
stealing the down from the nests of
the elder ducks.
They watch the home building of the
ducks and note the laying of the eggs
from day to day. When about the
compliment of eggs has been deposited
these rascally pirates pounce down and
steal both eggs and down. Then the
ducks proceed to repair damages. The
female is now obliged to denude her
breast in order to get down enough to
line her nest. Then, when more eggs
are laid, the pirates make their cruel
visit again. The patient ducks try it
once more, but this time the drake
has to supply the down.
When the pirates have for the third
time committed their robbery the poor
ducks abandon the place and disappear.
Whether they at last comprehend
the trouble, or whether the vanity OF
the drake leads him to "draw the line"
at the loss of half his down, is some
| thing we have yet to learn. 1t must
be said for the elder drake, however,
that he is good and faithful husband,
as nearly all brakes are in their wild
state. Instances are cited by natural
lists wherein the same pair of ducks
for twenty years raised their broods in
the same place.
The nesting habits of nearly all the
other wild ducks Of our country are
similar to those of the elder. The
| ducklings are born in the spring in
cold regions, and when the time comes
to migrate southwark the young ones
are as good flyers as the parents. The
young ducks are taught to eat as soon
as they leave the shell, and a little
1 - a. Al
and dive.
| This is the way she gives the first
swimming lesson: she orders the little
ones to get on her back. as you may
have seen young chickens get on the
back of the cid hen. Then she wad-
dies into the water, swims out a little
way and suddenly dives. leaving the
ducklings to paddle their own canoe. -
But the mother does not go far away.
She comes to the surface quickly and
anxiOusly watches the result of the first
swimming lesson. AS ducks are natu-
raj swimmers the little quackers at
once become as fond of the water as q
child Of candy.
The diving lesson comes next The
mother will dive and try to induce the
youngsters to follow her. If they
won't do it she gets behind them and
''tilts them up" SO that their heads
go under then, like the average boy,
they are just crazy to dive when they
find how easy it is.
All ducks are good divers, but wher
in tlocks on the water they always pre-
fer to escape danger by flying. But
stray ducks that have been detached
from flocks will generally dive in pref
erence to flying, in order to escape the
gunner. Some of the ducks found or
our lakes and rivers are such exper
divers that they avoid the shots of the
best marksmen. 1t is thought tina
they understand what the flash of
gun means, and they are SO quick tina
they get under the surface OF the watel
before the lead reaches them. Tn,
only way the gunner can get a chanc.
at these divers is to fire one shot t.
make the duck dive and then be read,
:. with another the instant that the game
shows above the surface.
The canvas-back and the mallard
are the best known among the edibl,
ducks Of our country, and the mallart
is recognized as the progenitor of ou1
domestic duck. The latter, however
Is rather ignoble defendant of nobl
ancestors. While the wild duck live
largely on roots and grains, there i
nothing too filthy for the domestic de
scendant. Refuse that pig woul,
disdain to touch will be gobbled by
tame duck as If it were the most deli
cate morsel.
In their family relations they are OK
tremely remiss. The drake is q faith
less husband. pulled up with self-con
ceit, and utterly Indifferent to hi
spouse in nesting time and to the duck
,, lings when they appear And the viii
is not much better than the husband
She will sometimes leave the nest whe
Matching, go off ON an excursion an
let the eggs spoil. Even if she SUE
cessfully matches the eggs she doesn
seem to care anything for the brooi
Hence, people that make duck raisin
business always give out the hatchin
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