Their nests are usually built among heath or rushes, not far from the water; and they lay twelve, fourteen, or more eggs before they sit: yet this is not always their method; the dangers they continually encounter from their situation sometimes oblige them to change their manner of building; and their awkward nests are often seen exalted on the tops of trees. This must be a very great labour to perform, as the Duck's bill is but ill formed for building a nest, and giving the materials of which it is composed a sufficient stability to stand the weather. The nest, whether high or low, is generally composed of the longest grass, mixed with heath, and is lined within with the bird's own feathers.

As these animals possess the faculties of flying and swimming, so they are in general birds of passage, and it is most probable perform their journeys across the ocean as well on the water as in the air. Those that migrate to England, on the approach of winter, are seldom found so well tasted or so fat as the fowls that continue there the year round: their flesh is often lean, and still oftener fishy; which flavour it has probably contracted in the journey, as their food in the lakes of Lapland, whence they descend, is generally of the insect kind.

As soon as they arrive in England, they are generally seen flying in flocks, to make a survey of those lakes where they intend to take up their residence for the winter. Lakes, with a marsh on one side, and a wood on the other, are seldom without vast quantities of wild fowl. The greatest quantities are taken in decoys; which, though well known near London, are yet untried in the remoter parts of the country. The manner of making and managing a decoy is as follows:

A place is to be chosen for this purpose far remote from the common highway, and all noise of people. When the

place is chosen, the pool, if possible, is to be planted round with willows, unless a wood answers the purpose of shading it on every side. On the south and north side of this pool are two, three, or four ditches or channels, made broad towards the pool, and growing narrower till they end in a point. These channels are to be covered over with nets supported by hooped sticks bending from one side to the other; so that they form a vault or arch growing narrower and narrower to the point, where it is terminated by a tunnel-net, like that in which fish are caught in wears. Along the banks of these channels, so netted over, which are called pipes, many hedges are made of reeds slanting to the edge of the channel, the acute angles to the side next the pool. The whole apparatus also is to be hidden from the pool by a hedge of reeds along the margin, behind which the fowler manages his operations. The place being fitted in this manner, the fowler is to provide himself with a number of wild Ducks made tame, which are called decoys. These are always to be fed at the mouth or entrance of the pipe, and to be accustomed to come at a whistle. As soon as the evening is set in, the decoy rises, as they term it, and the wild fowl feed during the night. If the evening be still, the noise of their wings, during their flight, is heard at a very great distance, and produces no unpleasant sensation. The fowler, when he finds a fit opportunity, and sees his decoy covered with fowl, walks about the pool, and observes into what pipe the birds gathered in the pool may be enticed or driven. Then casting hemp seed, or some such seed as will float on the surface of the water, at the entrance and up along the pipe, he whistles to his decoy Ducks, who instantly obey the summons, and come to the entrance of the pipe, in hopes of being fed as usual. Thither also they are followed by a whole flock of wild ones, who little suspect the danger

preparing against them. The wild Ducks, therefore, pursuing the decoy Ducks, are led into the broad mouth of the channel or pipe, nor have the least suspicion of the man, who keeps hidden behind one of the hedges. When they have got up the pipe, however, finding it grow more and more narrow, they begin to suspect danger, and would return back; but they are now prevented by the man, who shows himself at the broad end below. Thither, therefore, they dare not return; and rise they may not, as they are kept by the net above from ascending. The only way left them, therefore, is the narrow-funneled net at the bottom; into this they fly, and there they are taken.

It often happens, however, that the wild fowl are in such a state of sleepiness or dozing, that they will not follow the decoy ducks. Use is then generally made of a dog who is taught his lesson. He passes backward and forward between the reedhedges, in which there are little holes, both for the decoy man to see, and for the little dog to pass through. This attracts the eye of the wild fowl; who, prompted by curiosity, advance towards this little animal, while he all the time keeps playing among the reeds, nearer and nearer the funnel, till they follow him too far to recede. Sometimes the dog will not attract their attention till a red handkerchief, or something very singular, be put about him. The decoy Ducks never enter the funnelnet with the rest, being taught to dive under water as soon as the rest are driven in.

To this manner of taking wild fowl in England, we will subjoin another still more extraordinary, frequently practised in China. Whenever the fowler sees a number of Ducks settled in any particular plash of water, he sends off two or three gourds to float among them. These gourds resemble our pompions; but, being made hollow, they swim on the surface of the water; and on one pool

there may sometimes be seen twenty or thirty of these gourds floating together. The fowl at first are a little shy at coming near them; but by degrees they come nearer; and as all birds at last grow familiar with a scarecrow, the Ducks gather about these, and amuse themselves by whetting their bills against them. When the birds are as familiar with the gourds as the fowler could wish, he then prepares to deceive them in good earnest. He hollows out one of these gourds large enough to put his head in; and making holes to breathe and see through, he claps it on his head. Thus accoutred, he wades slowly into the water, keeping his body under, and nothing but his head in the gourd above the surface; and in that manner moves imperceptibly towards the fowls, who suspect no danger. At last, however, he fairly gets in among them; while they, having been long used to see gourds, take not the least fright while the enemy is in the very midst of them; and an insidious enemy he is; for ever as he approaches a fowl, he seizes it by the legs, and draws it in a jerk under water. There he fastens it under his girdle, and goes to the next, till he has thus loaded himself with as many as he can carry away. When he has got this quantity, with out ever attempting to disturb the rest of the fowls on the pool, he slowly moves off again; and, in this manner, pays the flock three or four visits in a day. Of all the various artifices for catching fowl, this seems likely to be attended with the greatest success, and is the most practised in China.

AMERICAN DUCKS.

WE have extracted the following list of Ducks, found in America, from Wilson's Ornithology.

The EIDER DUCK is found on the American as well as

the European shores, from 45° north to the highest latitudes yet discovered. It is said to breed as far south as Portland in Maine.

THE BLACK, OR SURF DUCK is a fine large species peculiar to America, and confined to the shores and bays of the sea.

THE VELVET DUCK is sometimes confounded with the Black Duck, but is smaller. It is common on the northern shores of Europe, and on those of Kamtschatka.

THE SCOTU DUCK abounds on the northern shores of both continents.

THE RUDDY DUCK appears to have recently made its appearance on the shores of the Middle States, and resembles the Ural Duck of Europe. Its colour is that of bright mahogany.

THE CANVASS-BACK DUCK is a very celebrated species unknown in Europe. They appear in the United States about the middle of October, and great numbers of them are found on the rivers near Chesapeake Bay. The Canvass-back, in the rich juicy tenderness of its flesh, and its delicacy and flavour, stands unrivalled by the whole of its tribe in perhaps any other part of the world. They sometimes sell from one to three dollars a pair. Its length is about two feet, and its weight two pounds.

THE RED-HEADED DUCK is a common associate of the Canvass-back, and its flesh is very little inferior. It is perhaps the Red-headed Widgeon of Europe.

THE SCAUP DUCK is common to both continents, and feeds on shell fish called Scaup.

The Tufted Duck is a short plump bird, supposed by Wilson to be the same as the European bird of that name; but Charles Bonaparte has shown it to be a distinct species.