The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1899-12-28
he Wild DUCK AS A MOTHER.
lueer Places Selected For Nesting, which
Are Jealously Watched.

Are Jeaiously Watched.
The wild duck is apt to be rather
luaint as n mother. She often seems
have the most singular idea about
ites appropriate for the nursery.
1t is practically an essential for the
yel-being of her babies that the nur-
Iery should be close by the waters
ide, for the little ones like to take 10
he water as soon as Matched. They
iave small use for the land except to
.est on and they are rather restless.
rhe water is their element, and yet
he old mother duck will sometimes
,hoose for her nesting place a spot re-
note by more than hundred yards
rom any water; sometimes she will
sven choose the humble, but yet con-
siderable, height OF pollard willow.
and how she conveys her young brood
rom 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 a wren's nest,
will probably go on vexing till the end
Of time.
There are theories in plenty, but no
certainty. And often she will make
hor nest or lay her eggs, for her no.
lions Of nest 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 of it she does not go away,
leo ,vAnll .atnolthflxr
cretly, so as not to reveal to you its
existence, but with hutter and com
motion and often with an affection of
broken wing las il 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,
II have q nest there; please do not go
looking for it but come and catch me,
have a sbroken wing" She has
charming idea of human simplicity.
She has only too many reasons for
her over-anxiety. It 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 hatched, 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 or 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 fussiness,
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, or else will
move just foot or so from her nest
and remain watching jealously 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 n domesticated person, hav-
ing been broughtu up under barn door
hen and so learning the ways of civiliza.
ton. If the wild duck mother could
learn only portion of her trustful'
ness she would be more contentcd
person. Country Life.