The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-28
THE DUCKS NEVER CAME RACK,
But One of the Flock Did Not Join i'm
Their Flight.
Minneapolis (Minn.) Journal.


John Gleason. of Carver county. has q
brood of eight young pitfalls Matched under
a domestic duck last month. This makes
the third time he has tried the experiment,
with varying success. Mr. Gleason now
points with pride at vain old mallard
drake whose coat of iridescent grandeur is
quite the most gorgeous bit of coloring any
where about the place, though he is COM
PEELED at certain seasons of the year to d.
vide honors with a bedizened and fearfuliy
noisy peacock of aristocratic lineage and
the proverbial pride of his high-headed race
This mallard is the only remaining speci-
men of brood of twelve Matched by a do
nestle duck of the Gleason yard. Early
in life he formed an attachment for,
speckled tame duck, and this romantic de-
Votion Of his has, at least Gleason says so,
prevented his leaving for those far southern
feeding grounds which long since lured
away the others of his family. The gayly
decorated drake and his dull specify con-
sort waddle sbout in seeming contentment,
though Mrs. Gleason declares that at times
there is an air of sadness about the malard.
suggesting possible regrets for the pleasures
that might have been his.
The remainder of the brood took flight
all in a bunch one Sunday morning thee
seasons ago. A flock of southing mallards
invisible. The leader of the bunch man
aged to make himself heard and under
as though they couldn't wait minute The
malard drake with the speckled incum.
brance hesitated between domestic plss anu
an unincumbered career. While he hest
tated his brothers and sisters became mere
specks IN the distance. He has never
seemed to care anything for aerial travel
since that. In fact, he is now so disgrace
fully fat that it is an open question whether
he could support his own weight for any
considerable distance.
There are a score or two OF hyDrlds IN
the Gleason barnyard a result of the
mallard's stay. Mr.. Gleason says they are
better favored fowl for food purposes than
the ordinary domestic bird. Once in a great
while during the spring and fall flights OF
water fowl a few of the hybrids take wing
and are seen no more. To prevent this the
birds now in hand have had their wings
clipped. with the exception of the old NAL
lard. Gleason trusts him implicitly.
This spring, while cutting slough grass
near a creek that traverses the farm. Mr.:
Gleason came upon a pintails nest full or
eggs. He confiscated the collection, set
them under domestic duck. and now has
a brood of the livelest youngsters that ever
came out of egg shells. They are as mucn
trouble to their slow. wadding mother as y
picnic party is to the Sunday school super
intendent She follows them into the water
and tries to keep them in sight, but Is evil
IDENTIFY worried at the extraordinary swift
ness with which they dart in and out among
the tall rushes and taLgled SroWths or the
shore line. -,
Last year the Journal mentioned Mr.
Gleasons attempts to domestcate guam. f1S
has abandoned the attempt after repeated
experiments. Several times he has mad
broods of quail as tame as any domestic
fowl but there invariably comes time
when the little chaps strike for their naive
underbrush without warning and never re-
appear.