The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1899-12-22
THE WILD DUCK AS A MOTHER.
Queer Places Selected For Nesting, which
Are jealousy Watched.

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The wild duck is apt to be rather
quaint as q mother. She often seems
20 have the most singular idea about
sites appropriate for the nursery.
It is practically an essential for the
well-being of her babies that the nur-i
,ery should be close by the waters
side, for the little ones like to take to
she water as soon as Matched. They
have small use for the land except to
rest on and they are rather restless.
The water is their element, and yet
the old mother duck will sometimes
choose for her nesting place spot re-
mote by more than a hundred. yards
from any water; sometimes she will
even choose the humble, but yet con-
siderable, height of pollard willow,
and how she conveys her young brood
from these situations to the water is
one of those problems of NATURAL his
tory which, like the cuckoo's way of
conveying her egg into wren's nest,
will probably go on yexing till the end
of time.
There are theories in plenty, but no
certainty. And often she will make
her nest or lay her eggs, for her no.
lions finest architecture are primitive.
in q spot that seems specially selected
for its absence of cover. And yet no
one can say that she is not an affec-
tionate, even an over anxious, mother.
When you come near her nest and
startle her off it she does not go away,
as wise woman would, stealthily, Sc
cretly, so as not to reveal to you it's
existence, but with futter and COM
motion and often with an affection of
broken wing las if to lead you off in
pursuit of her rather than leave you
looking for her eggs, that tells you as
plainly as if she had quacked it out,
81 have nest there; please do not go
looking for it but come and catch me,
have sbroken wing" She has a
charming idea of human simplicity.
She has only too many reasons for
her over-anxiety. 1t is quite pitiful.
She is pitiful object herself, as she
goes about in her lame and incompe-
tent fashion. But the real dangers
that menace her young family are
many and terrible. On shore, as soon
as Matched, or even while still in the
shell, they are the most attractive prey
of rats, both gray rats and water voles,
and no sooner do they take to the
water than hungry pike is looking
out to gobble them up OF heron, os-
tensibly bent on fishing, is not at all
above skewering one of them on his
bayonet beak if it should come his
way. So all these adequate causes for
most poignant anxiety more than ex-
cuse Mother Duck for her business,
even if they be no excuse for her habit
Of pitching her nursery tent in sites
that really are not very eligible.
But this mother has chosen fairly
secluded spot. For the most part she
will be found sitting closely, if she be
approached with caution, OF else will
move just foot or so from her nest
and remain watching iealously lest her
eggs take any harm. And close be-
side her in the same covert is Mother
Pheasant on her nest, less suspicious
and more trustful, for she is some
thing of domesticated person, hav
ing been brought up under barn door
hen and so learning the ways of civiliza-
lion. If the wild duck mother could
learn only portion of her trustful-
ness she would be a more centeHted
person. Country Life.