,transcriber's ,note  ,the punctuation  
and spelling from the original text have
 been faithfully preserved4 ,only       
obvious typographical errors have been  
corrected4   ,,wild ,,ducks             
,illustration3 ,w4,l4 ,colls4 ,ph4 ,sc4 
,the ,fleet at ,flight time4            
,,wild ,,ducks    ,,how ,,to ,,rear     
,,and ,,shoot   ,,them    ,,by          
,,captain ,w4 ,,coape ,,oates    ,,with 
#d ,,photogravure ,,plates ,,from       
,,drawings   ,,by ,g4,e4 ,,lodge1 ,,and 
#ab ,,illustrations   ,,from            
,,photographs    ,,longmans1 ,,green1   
,,and ,,co4   #ci ,,paternoster ,,row1  
,,london   ,,new ,,york ,,and ,,bombay  
#aije    ,all rights reserved       ,,to
    ,,my ,,wife     ,,preface   ,the    
main object of this book is to assist   
those who are anxious to rear wild ducks
 on economical lines4 ,the ,author is   
not without hope that the pages which it
 contains may even be of some use to old
 hands at the game4     ,,contents      
,,chap4                                 

,,page      ,i4 ,,selection ,,of ,,stock
 ,,and ,,their ,,home      #ac     ,,ii4
 ,,laying ,,and ,,sitting               
#be    ,,iii4 ,,hatching ,,and ,,rearing
                   #da     ,,iv4        
,,shooting                              
#fa     ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations     
,,photogravure ,,plates    ,from        
,drawings by ,g4,e4 ,,lodge    ,,the    
,,fleet ,,at ,,flight ,,time            
,frontispiece    ,,on ,,guard           
,to face p4 #be    ,a ,,tidy ,,mother   
#cc    ,,quite ,,tall ,,enough          
#fa     ,,from ,,photographs    ,,coming
 ,,in ,,to ,,feed                       
#af    ,,the ,,cage                     
#bj    ,,the ,,rearing ,,paddock        
#da    ,a ,,small ,,run                 
#df    ,,ware ,,wire6                   
#dh    ,,wired ,,in ,,on ,,the ,,water  
#ea    ,,an ,,ineffective ,,cripple     
,,stopper            #fd    ,,before    
,,the ,,evening ,,meal                  
#fg    ,a ,,right ,,and ,,left          
#fi    ,,at ,,the ,,end ,,of ,,the ,,day

                     #gj    ,,coming    
,,on ,a ,,side ,,wind                   
#gc    ,,ladies ,,in ,,waiting          
#gd     ,,selection ,,of ,,stock ,,and  
,,their ,,home     ,,wild ,,ducks       
,,chapter ,i  ,,selection ,,of ,,stock  
,,and ,,their ,,home   ,the first point 
to be decided by the would-be owner of  
wild-fowl is the locality where he      
intends to turn down his stock4         
,wild-fowl can undoubtedly be reared far
 from any large piece of water1 but ,i  
am strongly of opinion that birds do    
better on a good-sized stretch of water 
with a stream running into it and out of
 it4 ,given these advantages1 the       
running water must be constantly        
bringing a fresh supply of food1        
especially after a fall of rain         
sufficiently heavy to cause a rise of   
water2 further1 if the stream which runs
 out of our lake empties itself into a  
large river1 the latter will1 when it   
floods or rises rapidly1 cause our      
stream to back up and bring in a further

 supply of food from the main river4    
,some morning the ducks are absent from 
their accustomed haunts1 and if we walk 
up to the spot where the stream enters  
the lake1 ten to one we shall find our  
birds there thoroughly enjoying some    
duck-weed or other food swept down by a 
rise in the water4  ,this supply of     
fresh food is a gratifying source of    
economy to the grain bill at the end of 
the year1 and it is most fascinating to 
watch the birds standing on their heads 
in their endeavours to reach this change
 of diet4  ,another great advantage1    
too1 is that a far higher percentage of 
fertile eggs will be obtained if the    
ducks have a large piece of water at    
their disposal4  ,given these           
advantages1 it is1 however1 most        
necessary for the birds to have some    
shelter near the lake1 both as a        
protection against the weather and to   
serve as suitable nesting places4       
,nothing1 for instance1 could be better 
than a stackyard or paddock in the      

vicinity of the water1 and if the       
paddock is bounded by a flood bank or   
tall hedge1 giving shelter from the     
prevailing wind1 so much the better4    
,ducks love to nest in stacks1 and ,i   
have known a pinioned bird work her way 
up the side of a stack and make her nest
 fifteen feet from the ground4 ,in      
stacks birds can burrow so deep that no 
weather1 however inclement1 can damage  
the eggs4  ,outhouses too are very      
favourite places for ducks to lay in2   
also old stick heaps and the bottom of  
thick hedges4 ,my main point is this1   
that if you take the trouble to         
regularly feed your wild ducks morning  
and evening and keep them quiet1 you    
will soon find that you can get them to 
lay where you want them to lay1 and the 
places you select will naturally be     
those where they are secure1 or nearly  
so1 from their natural enemies1 such as 
rats1 cats1 weasels1 moles1 and other   
vermin4  ,this is the first secret of   
success4  ,i have seen wild ducks so    

tame that within a fortnight from the   
time they first joined my own birds they
 were eating maize close to my feet4    
,having obtained my piece of water and  
decided on the spot where ,i mean to    
feed my birds1 the next step is to get  
the breeding stock4  ,i consider that   
the best time to purchase the stock is  
,december1 as this gives ample time for 
the birds to pair and get used to their 
surroundings before the breeding season 
commences2 one is almost sure to get    
some cold weather in ,january1 and the  
cold will make the birds more dependent 
on the food given to them1 and therefore
 more easily managed4  ,next as to the  
stock and where to get it4  ,i advise   
you to obtain your birds from different 
places1 two or three birds from each    
place1 taking care to get fairly young  
birds1 and not older than1 say1 two     
years4 ,by this means you will get a    
certain amount of change of blood1      
particularly during the second season1  
when the different broods1 which have   

been well mixed at hatching time1 pick  
their mates and breed4  ,illustration3  
,,coming ,,in ,,to ,,feed  ,i believe   
that this method is more satisfactory   
than buying eggs in the first instance1 
as in the latter case you cannot tell   
for certain how long the eggs you       
purchase have been laid1 nor what the   
birds are like which laid them4 ,we next
 come to the question of the proportion 
of drakes to ducks4 ,on a small piece of
 water1 one drake to every three ducks  
will do very well1 but if you have at   
your disposal a large lake1 ,i am       
strongly in favour of plenty of drakes1 
say fifteen drakes to every twenty      
ducks4 ,most of the birds will pair1    
though occasionally one finds as many as
 three drakes paying court to one duck1 
and one drake taking away two or even   
three ducks4  ,it will generally be     
found1 however1 that if any of your     
ducks are without mates1 wild birds will
 soon come and pair with them1 and this 
is1 of course1 just what you want4 ,i   

have adopted this principle for some    
time1 and practically all the eggs      
collected are fertile4 ,it will be found
 that at times--particularly whilst the 
ducks are sitting--the drakes are a     
great nuisance1 but at this period one  
can always catch them and shut them up4 
,the next point to be considered is as  
to what food is best for breeding birds1
 and ,i say unhesitatingly maize4 ,there
 is practically no waste1 and you have  
not the mortification of seeing crowds  
of sparrows swoop down on your ducks'   
food as you turn away4  ,better still1  
ducks lay capitally on maize1 and you   
may calculate on obtaining an average of
 twenty-three to twenty-four eggs apiece
 from your ducks if fed carefully4  ,you
 will find that strange ducks when they 
first join your own will not eat maize1 
though they soon take to it when they   
see your own birds feeding4  ,it is easy
 to tell the advent of a stranger by    
this peculiarity1 and by his generally  
alert and suspicious manner4  ,i am a   

strong believer in the infusion of fresh
 blood each year1 and this is easily    
done by catching a few stranger drakes  
and pinioning them4 ,these birds1 if    
kept up until their wound is healed1 and
 then enlarged in good time1 will pair  
with your own birds and often become    
very tame4 ,i did not find that         
pinioning strange ducks answered so     
well1 as they were very prone to stray  
and lay their eggs at a distance1 and   
their young were always shy and         
difficult to tame2 moreover1 the ducks  
never bred the first year after         
pinioning1 whereas the drakes did4 ,it  
is quite a simple matter to catch these 
wild birds2 you have only to construct  
an ordinary wire-covered cage1 somewhere
 near the water1 and with the face      
nearest the water closed by a door2 you 
then accustom your own birds to feed    
inside this cage1 and you will soon find
 that in winter they will come for food 
as soon as it is light1 or rather just  
as day is breaking1 always provided that

 you feed them at that time4  ,you have 
been careful to leave the door of the   
cage open over night1 and have put some 
maize inside the cage4 ,a strong cord   
attached to the door is passed across   
the doorway and round a wooden runner on
 the opposite post1 and then to the back
 of the cage1 where your man lies       
concealed4 ,often during severe weather1
 which is always the best for this kind 
of work1 your own birds will be followed
 by one or two strangers1 who in the    
half light come inside the cage before  
realising their mistake4 ,once you get  
them inside the cage with their heads   
away from the entrance1 pull the string 
and shut the door4 ,care should be taken
 that the string is fairly high up1 so  
as not to catch the duck's eye4 ,having 
got your birds safely inside1 catch them
 quietly and quickly1 and having        
pinioned them1 take them1 if possible1  
to a cage with some part of it          
projecting out into the water4 ,you1 of 
course1 feed them regularly1 and are    

careful to give them some artificial    
cover to skulk in1 as for some time the 
pain of the wound and the fright they   
have had makes them terribly shy4 ,this 
cage1 once constructed1 is most useful  
for such work1 and can be built at      
trifling cost1 and the size ,i would    
recommend is about fifteen yards long by
 five yards wide1 with a height of five 
or six feet4 ,your own birds soon get   
used to their part of the business1 and1
 if you are quiet and quick1 soon get   
over their nervousness4  ,the advantage 
of confining your captives for a short  
time is obvious4 ,they get used to their
 surroundings and recognise the lake as 
their new home1 and soon take to their  
diet of maize1 so that when you liberate
 them they rarely give much trouble1 and
 readily mate with your own birds4      
,illustration3 ,,the ,,cage  ,one very  
important point which ,i have omitted to
 mention is the necessity to kill down  
all rats1 hedge-hogs1 moles1 and weasels
 in the vicinity of your breeding       

places4 ,rats are the ducks' worst      
enemies1 and ,i have known one old doe  
rat which had no less than sixteen wild 
ducks' eggs in her larder when she was  
dug out and killed4 ,all these eggs had 
a small hole in them1 and were of course
 spoilt4 ,we proved conclusively that   
she had no partner in her crimes1 as we 
never lost another egg after her death4 
,rats are a perfect curse to young      
ducks1 and they will carry them off even
 when they are half-grown1 occasionally 
killing two or three ducklings in a     
single night without even taking the    
trouble to remove them4 ,on another     
occasion ,i remember a rat killing a    
duck whilst sitting on her nest2 the    
unfortunate bird had allowed herself to 
be killed apparently without moving4    
,moles do a good deal of damage by      
burrowing under the nests1 thus forming 
a cavity into which the eggs fall2 they 
are then carried off by the mole4 ,more 
than this1 many a duck is either put off
 laying or induced to desert her nest   

when sitting owing to the restless      
movements of this little pest4  ,a last 
word as regards the numbers you should  
retain as a breeding stock4 ,this       
largely depends on the size of the piece
 of water you own and the amount of food
 it can supply to your birds4 ,if your  
stock is too large1 your birds will do a
 lot of harm to the meadows adjoining   
the water1 and you must bear in mind    
that the possession of the goodwill of  
the farmers round is the second secret  
of success4 ,ensure this1 and you don't 
get eggs stolen1 and1 better still1 you 
are informed of the whereabouts of any  
truant ducks that may be nesting away   
from home4  ,a present of a couple of   
fat wild ducks will cover a multitude of
 their sins4     ,,laying ,,and         
,,sitting  ,illustration3 ,w4,l4 ,colls4
 ,ph4 ,sc4  ,on ,guard4     ,,chapter   
,,ii  ,,laying ,,and ,,sitting   ,we now
 come to the time when the ducks1 having
 paired1 show an inclination to look for
 suitable nesting places4 ,the drake    

takes the lead in this1 and you may be  
sure that when you see birds peering    
about in hedge bottoms1 stick heaps1 c41
 that eggs will soon be laid4  ,at this 
time1 too1 they use a different note1   
and to quote a very apt term used by a  
friend of mine1 they begin to talk4     
,about the beginning of ,february it is 
advisable to hint to the ducks where you
 want them to lay4 ,if you have any     
large trees in your paddock1 place a    
number of sticks up against the trees in
 the form of a circle1 leaving one or   
two clear spaces inside the heap4 ,then 
make some circular holes1 one in each of
 the spaces1 and about five or six      
inches deep1 and shelving gradually from
 rim to centre4 ,it is best to scatter  
some sand in these holes1 so that the   
birds can more easily work the nests to 
the dimensions that suit them4 ,don't   
make the nests too small or too shallow1
 as they may have to contain fourteen or
 fifteen eggs4 ,it is advisable to put  
some short dry grass or old hay near the

 nest1 and a very little in it1 so that 
the duck can manipulate it at her       
pleasure4  ,the principal thing to      
remember is1 that the nest must be      
sheltered as much as possible from      
draughts1 and be made well in the middle
 of the cover1 as ducks like darkness   
when they are sitting4 ,broom is about  
the best cover you can use for          
sheltering a nest1 and is most          
adaptable4 ,practical experience1 and   
one's early failures1 teach one more    
than anything else how a nest should be 
made1 and yet often when you are        
satisfied that you have selected a most 
suitable spot for nesting purposes1 you 
will find a duck occasionally preferring
 a miserably draughty position for her  
nest within a yard of the snug retreat  
you have devised for her4 ,the only     
thing then to be done is to leave her   
alone until she has settled down to lay 
steadily1 when you can gradually        
introduce pieces of broom1 c41 so as to 
shelter her nest as much as possible    

from wind and rain1 taking care to leave
 the entrance to the nest clear4 ,young 
ducks as a rule are the most shy1 and   
you will generally find the older birds 
only too glad to avail themselves of the
 well-sheltered nests that you have     
provided for them4  ,nothing can be     
better for ducks to nest in than the    
corners of an outhouse or old stable1   
always provided that you have killed off
 the rats4  ,in such places wind and    
rain can do no harm1 and practically    
every egg hatches out4  ,the roots of   
hollow willow trees are favourite       
nesting places1 but a bit dangerous if  
too near the water's edge4 ,many birds  
delight in straw stacks1 and if         
disturbed will simply go up higher1 so  
as to be out of the way of cattle or    
human beings4  ,i believe that if you   
can get your birds to nest in outhouses 
or stacks1 you will get a much better   
hatch out than elsewhere4 ,last year one
 of my ducks took off all her sixteen   
eggs safely from the corner of a stable1

 and a bird sitting close to her hatched
 eleven1 without a single bad egg2 and  
we had almost as good results from birds
 nesting in stacks4  ,one bird1 after   
being disturbed from her nest in the    
side of a stack1 built at the top1 and  
quite twenty feet from the ground4 ,one 
fine morning we found her with fourteen 
young ducklings1 and she appeared much  
annoyed at the assistance which we gave 
to the family to descend4  ,if the      
weather is dry and your nests are well  
situated1 your birds nesting outside may
 do as well as those described above2   
but given a week of cold wind and       
penetrating wet1 down goes your average 
at once4  ,last season was a            
particularly favourable one1 and from   
the first five nests 7all sat upon by   
ducks7 no less than sixty-five ducklings
 hatched out--a highest possible4       
,naturally this extraordinary percentage
 was not maintained4 ,we will now       
suppose that the ducks have begun to    
lay1 an event which may take place any  

time from the middle of ,february to the
 middle of ,march1 after which date they
 ought to be laying steadily4 ,as they  
will lay many more eggs than they can   
successfully hatch1 pick up some eggs at
 intervals from the nests1 taking care  
always to leave two or three in each    
nest4 ,these eggs should be placed on a 
large tray or shallow box1 lined with   
hay1 sawdust1 or other suitable         
material4 ,it is not advisable to place 
them touching each other1 and care      
should be taken to turn them daily2 if  
this is done the eggs will keep well for
 three weeks1 by which time you have    
collected a sufficient number to put    
under hens1 however small your stock may
 be4  ,eggs left in the nest will1 of   
course1 not require turning1 as the duck
 does this herself4  ,when you have     
collected a number of eggs1 place them  
under hens1 having first satisfied      
yourself that the hens are good sitters4
 ,eight to ten sittings of twelve eggs  
each is a good number to put down as a  

start1 as from this number you ought to 
get about a hundred ducklings1 and      
these1 when old enough1 can be divided  
into two runs of about fifty each4 ,i   
have found by experience that it is     
unwise to put a larger number than this 
together until the birds are about six  
or seven weeks old4 ,naturally1 the     
number of eggs you can put down will    
depend on the size of your stock and the
 number of sitting hens at your         
disposal4  ,a certain amount of care is 
necessary in preparing the nest for the 
hens1 as ducks' eggs are very fragile1  
and much more easily broken than hens'  
eggs4  ,the following is the method     
which ,i recommend4 ,get any square box 
of sufficient depth1 and having cut some
 pieces of sod1 build up the corners of 
the box with them3 then cut a square sod
 to fit the size of the box1 and having 
removed some of the earth underneath the
 centre of the sod1 place it grass      
upwards in the box4 ,by this means you  
will obtain the proper shape for the    

nest1 viz41 a gradual slope down from   
the sides to the centre2 this will      
prevent your hens accidentally kicking  
eggs from under them1 as owing to the   
shape of the nest any eggs which are    
displaced must roll towards the centre  
or lowest part of the nest2 there is    
consequently little danger of any of the
 eggs getting cold4 ,after this1 line   
the nest with dry moss4 ,the sod        
underneath has the advantage of         
producing greater heat1 and gives a more
 satisfactory hatch out than nests made 
of other material1 and being firm does  
not lose its shape4  ,don't forget to   
give your sitting hen some ventilation1 
but be careful that no draught can reach
 the eggs4  ,the sitting hens will1 of  
course1 be taken off to feed regularly  
every day1 and you will find them give  
you less trouble if you take care to    
tether them on the same leg each day4   
,and now to return to the laying ducks4 
,as time goes on you must leave more    
eggs in the nest1 as the birds will soon

 want to sit4 ,a duck shows signs of    
this by lining her nest with down from  
her breast1 and in a short time you will
 find the whole nest1 sides and bottom1 
lined with a thick covering of down2    
while the eggs are covered by what ,i   
can best describe as a thick movable    
quilt1 which protects them from the     
cold1 and the prying eyes of carrion    
crows and other poachers4  ,at this time
 you will observe the old duck staying  
longer and longer on her nest each day  
as she lays the last egg or two1 and you
 may be sure that she has fairly begun  
to sit if you find her still on her nest
 about #f or #g ,p4,m4 ,a day or two    
before she begins to sit1 her nest      
should be made up to its proper         
complement of eggs1 and it is always    
wise to keep a few eggs in hand for such
 contingencies4 ,the number of eggs a   
duck can sit on depends largely on the  
size of the duck and also the depth and 
breadth of the nest2 given favourable   
conditions a duck can manage sixteen or 

seventeen eggs1 and ,i knew of one nest1
 consisting of sixteen eggs1 all of     
which hatched off4 ,there is1 however1  
this risk1 that should bad weather come 
it is practically impossible for a duck 
to successfully brood so large a number 
as sixteen ducklings1 even when her coop
 is turned away from the wind and rain2 
and it is here that large brooding hens 
such as the ,bufforpington score their  
strongest point as mothers to young     
ducks4  ,of one thing you may be sure1 a
 duck will not retain any more eggs in  
her nest than she can conveniently      
cover4 ,i know of one case where a duck 
belonging to me was sitting on fifteen  
eggs4 ,all appeared to be going well1   
until one morning a friend of mine1 on  
whose veracity ,i can absolutely rely1  
saw the duck fly from her nest1 close to
 where he was standing1 with an egg in  
her bill4  ,illustration3 ,w4,l4 ,colls4
 ,ph4 ,sc4  ,a tidy ,mother4  ,she flew 
to the water1 about #aej yards away1    
apparently without breaking the egg2 but

 unfortunately my friend could not get  
up in time to see what she did with it4 
,she hatched out the rest of her eggs   
satisfactorily4  ,i presume that either 
the egg in question was cracked and she 
removed it for the sake of cleanliness1 
or because she felt herself unable to   
sit on so many eggs4  ,on many occasions
 ,i have noticed an egg left bare on the
 top of the downy covering which ducks  
are so careful to leave over their eggs 
when they go off to feed1 and these     
eggs1 if taken away and placed under a  
hen1 have invariably hatched4 ,to the   
best of my recollection ,i have never   
known eggs disappear from a nest        
containing eggs up to thirteen in       
number2 but over that ,i could quote    
many instances of one or two eggs going4
  ,this has led me to believe that the  
bird above alluded to had removed an egg
 from her nest1 as she felt herself     
unable to sit on so many4 ,a good number
 of eggs to leave under a duck is       
thirteen1 and under a hen twelve4  ,i   

have satisfied myself that hens1 however
 small and light1 break many more eggs  
than ducks1 and for this reason ,i do   
not care to give a hen too many--one    
broken egg frequently leads to more4    
,it is advisable when once the ducks    
have begun to sit1 to catch their mates1
 if possible1 and shut them up in some  
convenient place during incubation1 as  
otherwise they bully the sitting ducks  
when they come off to feed1 and you may 
have the annoyance of seeing a duck     
desert her nest just at hatching time1  
as nature has warned her that she must  
shortly lay again4 ,i had one instance  
of this kind1 when a duck which had been
 sitting very steadily left her nest    
when the eggs were actually spretched   
7cracked previous to hatching71 and as  
later in the day she showed no signs of 
returning we had to put them under a    
hen4 ,the duck in question never        
returned to her nest1 but soon made     
another4 ,she had not been disturbed in 
any way4  ,should a duck forsake its    

nest1 place the eggs under a good hen as
 quickly as possible1 even if they are  
stone cold4  ,i had one case last year1 
which ,i thought hopeless4 ,the eggs had
 been sat on for about a fortnight4     
,they were stone cold1 and we knew the  
duck had been off her nest for at least 
twelve hours1 probably much longer4     
,eventually twelve out of the thirteen  
hatched4 ,if you are unable to catch the
 drakes1 the best plan is to put food   
and water near the nest of the sitting  
birds1 the pan containing the water     
being large enough to allow her to wash 
herself thoroughly1 as it is the daily  
tub which generates heat1 and assists   
most materially the successful hatching 
of the young birds4  ,i will now deal   
with the vexed question as to the best  
kind of hens to be employed4 ,personally
 ,i have strong leaning towards         
,bufforpingtons2 they are1 of course1   
heavy1 and do break a few eggs--ducks'  
eggs being particularly brittle--but1 on
 the other hand1 they are very staunch  

sitters1 quiet and easy to handle1 and  
not likely to get excited when other    
hens are hatching in close proximity to 
them4 ,i have tried lighter hens of     
several breeds1 and ,i find that they   
break as many eggs1 and trample on as   
many young ducklings as the ,buffs1     
whereas taking them all round1 they are 
not so easy to handle1 do not sit so    
steadily1 and have nothing like the     
wonderful brooding capacity of the      
,buffs4  ,many people put all their wild
 ducks' eggs under hens1 and do not     
allow the ducks themselves to sit4 ,i   
think this is a mistake1 as nature gives
 to ducks far greater powers to hatch   
their own eggs than she gives to hens4  
,the daily bath1 already alluded to1 and
 the mass of warm soft feathers1 greatly
 assist in generating heat1 and in      
preventing the eggs from getting        
chilled4  ,the old duck treads more     
lightly when going on to her nest1 and  
certainly breaks far fewer eggs than the
 hen does4 ,on the other hand1 ducks are

 not such good brooders as hens1 and are
 far more likely to get dirty when kept 
under coops1 however often you may      
change the ground1 owing to the fact    
that they do not get to the water for   
the daily bath which is essential to    
them2 and if you leave a bath for them  
in the coop1 the young ducklings will be
 sure to get to it and probably contract
 cramp4  ,another strong point in favour
 of hens is the fact that when you have 
a large number of cletches of ducks in  
the wired run the hens do not kill them 
when they make a mistake and go to the  
wrong coop1 whereas ducks frequently do4
 ,if1 therefore1 a considerable number  
of broody hens are available1 the best  
plan is to let the ducks sit on the eggs
 until they are spretched 7cracked71 and
 then transfer them to hens which have  
been sitting for some time4 ,this1      
however1 is a cruel business at best4   
,the plan ,i always adopt is to note    
down carefully the day on which a duck  
should hatch1 and having satisfied      

myself that the young ones are dry after
 hatching and ready to move1 ,i catch   
the old duck on the nest1 and remove her
 and her whole family to a coop and run4
  ,care of course should be taken to see
 the bars in front of the coop are not  
sufficiently far apart to allow the duck
 to escape4  ,ducks' eggs take from     
twenty-four to twenty-nine days to hatch
 as a rule1 though occasionally a lot of
 eggs that have been put down soon after
 being laid will hatch in twenty-three  
days1 if set under a good hen4 ,i should
 put twenty-six days as the usual period
 of incubation4  ,if the ducks are well 
and regularly fed1 they should lay an   
average of twenty-three eggs apiece     
during the nesting season4 ,we generally
 feed ours on maize1 as it is less      
wasteful than smaller grain1 and the    
birds lay well on it4 ,one can1 ,i      
think1 count on #hj per cent4 of the    
eggs hatching1 and of birds actually    
hatched you ought1 in a fair season1 to 
rear #he per cent4 ,having taken my     

reader as far as the hatching out of the
 young birds1 ,i propose in my next     
chapter1 which ,i consider the most     
important in the book1 to deal with the 
question of their food1 up to the time  
they are fit to shoot4     ,,hatching   
,,and ,,rearing  ,illustration3 ,,the   
,,rearing ,,paddock     ,,chapter ,,iii 
,,hatching ,,and ,,rearing   ,the time  
is now approaching when the ducklings   
may be expected to hatch out4 ,care has 
been taken to plentifully sprinkle the  
eggs with tepid water1 two or three     
times a week1 whilst the hens are off   
for their daily feed1 and everything is 
ready for the young birds4  ,the first  
sign of approaching hatching is a       
curious opaqueness which affects the    
eggs4 ,this is speedily followed by     
chipping1 and by placing the egg close  
to the ear the young birds can easily be
 heard endeavouring to obtain their     
liberty4 ,if all the eggs chip and hatch
 together it is a sure sign of healthy  
birds2 but should they be hatching out  

patchily1 remove the earliest birds at  
intervals from the different hens and   
put them in a basket lined with flannel1
 in a warm corner of a room1 but not too
 near the fire4  ,when the birds are    
quite dry and lively1 remove them eleven
 or twelve together and place them in a 
coop1 with a small wire run attached4   
,always place the coops facing the sun1 
if possible1 and with their backs to the
 wind4  ,wind and rain must be kept out 
and the sun admitted4 ,the latter will  
bring on young birds quicker than       
anything4 ,during very bad weather coops
 may have to be shifted two or three    
times a day if the wind keeps changing4 
,a matter of considerable importance is 
the nature of the soil on which the     
ducks are to be reared4 ,let it be light
 and well drained1 and the ground       
undulating1 so that it may be always    
possible to shelter the young birds from
 a harsh wind4 ,a high bank1 such as    
that alluded to in ,chapter ,i41 is     
often of the greatest assistance in     

sheltering them1 particularly when they 
get a little older4  ,the ducklings must
 be put on some grass1 as otherwise the 
hens will scratch for food1 and         
generally damage one or two of their    
brood4 ,the young hopefuls require      
scarcely anything to eat or drink for   
the first twenty-four hours1 and do     
little else but brood underneath the    
hen1 though little patches of brown and 
yellow with a bright eye here and there 
form a fascinating picture for any      
passer-by4  ,the first food given should
 be a little fine wild duck meal1       
scalded in the usual way1 and put on a  
shallow plate outside the coop1 and     
inside the small wire run attached to   
the coop4 ,to start with1 a little food 
may be scattered over the grass inside  
the coops to attract the little birds to
 their meal2 they should1 however1 be   
taught to feed as soon as possible      
outside for the sake of cleanliness4    
,it is most important at this early     
stage that the food be not of too sloppy

 a nature1 otherwise the birds soon get 
in a terrible state1 and absolutely     
coated with their food4 ,this always    
leads to their heads1 eyes1 and often   
their backs becoming sticky1 and in the 
end spells a big death roll4 ,very      
little water1 and that pond water1      
should be given during the early stages2
 the colder the weather the less they   
ought to have to drink1 and it is often 
a good plan to take the chill off what  
little is given them4 ,don't forget to  
give the hens food and water twice a    
day4  ,a busy time is now before the    
keeper1 or whoever is responsible for   
the feeding4  ,the earliest meal should 
be given at about #d ,a4,m4 or as soon  
as it is light1 and then regularly      
throughout the day1 every four hours4   
,be careful to feed more frequently     
during inclement weather1 and move the  
coops prior to feeding4  ,the ducklings 
are now fairly started on their journey1
 and before following them ,i propose to
 describe the method to be adopted in   

the case of ducks sitting on their own  
eggs4 ,visit the sitting birds pretty   
regularly1 so that they lose their      
shyness on seeing you1 and when the     
birds have been sitting twenty-five     
days1 go in the early morning and late  
in the evening to satisfy yourself that 
the eggs have not hatched4  ,an         
experienced eye can generally tell1 by  
the unusually elevated appearance of the
 duck on her nest1 when she has hatched1
 and sometimes by creeping quietly      
forward the little birds may be heard   
chirping1 though they instantly cease on
 receiving a warning from their mother4 
,should you have doubt as to the        
hatching having taken place1 a blunted  
stick put under her breast will         
generally reveal the state of affairs1  
and if she knows you the old bird will  
not mind this4  ,directly it is         
ascertained that the brood is dry       
enough1 the old bird should be caught   
and the little ones put in a warm       
basket1 and the lot transferred to a    

coop and run1 after which they are      
treated in exactly the same manner as   
those under a hen4  ,i do not1 however1 
think it wise to give the duck as many  
young ones to look after as are given to
 the hen2 very often1 however1 there is 
no option in the matter4  ,ducks are    
very cunning at hatching time1 and      
unless the keeper is quick and          
observant1 will frequently give him the 
slip1 and get off with their brood to   
the water1 where more than half of them 
will probably fall a prey to rats and   
pike4  ,i remember on one occasion being
 unable until late afternoon to go and  
look at a nest which was due to hatch in
 the morning4 ,i found fourteen empty   
shells and the family gone4 ,it was a   
very cold day1 and after a prolonged    
search the party were found snugly      
ensconced under a willow tree4 ,they    
were speedily captured and brought home4
  ,the young ducks are now three or four
 days old1 and have got into the way of 
running out of the coop and into the run

 for their food and water4 ,they have   
overcome their early shyness1 and on the
 appearance of the keeper speedily show 
themselves4 ,a little fine crissel and  
flint grit can now with advantage be    
added to the meal1 and some sand1 which 
acts as a digestive1 placed in the water
 and on the grass4 ,never give them more
 than they can eat4 ,nothing is worse   
than stale food left about2 it leads to 
diarrhoea1 c41 and gives the youngsters 
a distaste for their food4 ,the food can
 be placed in long shallow troughs or on
 the grass in one long line4 ,i prefer  
the former plan1 as less is left about  
to become stale and sour4 ,care should  
be taken to see that the troughs are    
thoroughly washed after each meal4      
,when about ten days old the ducklings  
require more room to roam about in1 and 
unless you give it them they will begin 
to go back4  ,illustration3 ,a ,,small  
,,run  ,place five or six coops1 hens   
inside1 in a line1 and about a foot     
apart1 and wire in a piece of ground    

about ten yards square round the coops2 
it is better to give them too much room 
than too little4 ,it will generally be  
necessary to move on to fresh ground    
every four or five days during this     
stage1 but much depends of course on the
 state of the weather4 ,it is a good    
plan to leave the small wire runs inside
 the larger runs1 as they give a certain
 amount of shelter in bad weather4 ,it  
is delightful to see the little chaps   
appreciating their new liberty and      
dashing about in all directions in chase
 of flies1 c4 ,nothing seems to hurt    
them at this time1 and ,i once remember 
seeing three of my young ducks devour a 
bee apiece after first crippling it4 ,i 
have noticed a bird swallow a bee alive1
 and have also seen one stung1 but no   
ill effects resulted4  ,it is a good    
plan now to give the birds a little     
boiled rabbit1 chopped up fine2 it makes
 a change from the crissel1 and         
ducklings must have some animal food as 
a substitute for the slugs1 worms1 and  

many etceteras that they pick up in     
their natural state4 ,the chopped rabbit
 should be mixed with the meal4  ,one   
word of advice before going farther4    
,previous to placing a number of coops  
containing the old ducks close together1
 ascertain carefully whether there are  
any vicious ones amongst them--some are 
very savage1 and will immediately peck  
to death any unwary little one which    
enters a coop not its proper home4 ,it  
is best in these cases to isolate the   
old bird and her brood altogether1 if   
you have plenty of room1 or1 failing    
that1 to place her by herself in one    
corner of the run4  ,if bad weather     
comes on1 a pinch of ,cardiac 7a kind of
 tonic sold by ,messrs4 ,spratt7 may be 
added to the food1 but ,i only advocate 
its use occasionally4 ,the chief point  
,i am anxious to impress on my readers  
is1 don't let your birds get cold and   
wet2 if you do1 ground is lost which can
 never be recovered4 ,a capital plan is 
to cover some portion of the run with   

sacking or a waterproof sheet to form a 
shelter against excessive heat or a     
sudden hail-storm4 ,the most delicate   
time1 in my opinion1 is just when they  
are getting their shoulder feathers1 and
 if you get them safely through this    
period the worst is over4               
,illustration3 ,,ware ,,wire6  ,when    
they are about a fortnight old begin to 
give them some wheat in their drinking  
water2 that known to farmers as seconds 
is best4 ,i am a strong advocate of     
steeping the wheat before feeding1 as ,i
 think it renders it more digestible1   
though this is not so necessary if one  
uses seconds4 ,the ducks having got to  
eat wheat nicely1 introduce a little    
barley1 and by the time they are seven  
weeks old you can afford to do without  
meal entirely1 and it will be time to   
take the birds down to the water which  
is to be their home4 ,the greatest      
obstacle to success in rearing during   
the early stages of a young wild duck's 
life is the extraordinary knack they    

have of getting their heads and backs   
dirty4 ,this is a most serious matter1  
and causes great mortality unless       
attended to4 ,it is generally caused by 
the food adhering to their heads and    
cheeks2 being of a sticky nature1 it    
will often1 if neglected1 cause         
inflammation to the eyes and eventually 
blindness4 ,if once their heads get     
dirty1 their backs soon follow suit1 as 
the act of preening soon transfers the  
dirt from the head to the back4  ,this  
curse to young ducks is most prevalent  
in wet weather1 and it is therefore most
 necessary to constantly change the     
ground so as to keep the birds as clean 
as possible2 if once the old bird gets  
dirty1 it is good-bye to the general    
good health of her brood4  ,the only    
remedy1 if matters become serious1 is to
 get some tepid water and soap1 and     
carefully wash the affected places with 
a soft sponge1 taking care to free the  
down or feathers which have adhered to  
the skin4 ,a hot sunny day is the best  

for the purpose1 as the young birds then
 have every chance of getting dry4 ,if  
the old bird is dirty1 try to allow her 
a good wash in a tub or small tank2 she 
must1 however1 be watched1 otherwise she
 may leave her young ones in the lurch4 
,if your ducks are pinioned it is easy  
to manage this bath1 and to prevent the 
birds straying afterwards from their    
young4 ,when the ducklings are seven    
weeks old choose a nice warm day1 and   
take them down to the water3 ,i say a   
warm day1 as owing to their delight at  
getting to their natural element1 they  
are very liable to overdo their bathing 
at first1 and1 should the day be cold1  
the casualty list will be a big one next
 morning4  ,illustration3 ,,wired ,,in  
,,on ,,the ,,water  ,at this time it is 
best to wire off a piece of land and    
water1 making the whole into one large  
run1 and taking care that there is some 
shelter on land for the young birds4 ,it
 is a good plan to bring down the old   
birds1 coops and all1 to their temporary

 home1 keeping the mothers shut up in   
the coops for the present4 ,their       
presence gives confidence to the        
ducklings1 and their sharp warning      
quacks tell them when danger is about1  
and also emphasise the fact that there  
do exist such things as gulls1 carrion  
crows1 cats1 dogs1 c41 and that in      
future the young hopefuls must look out 
for themselves4 ,willow trees planted at
 the water's edge and kept about five to
 six feet high form admirable protection
 from bad weather and winged vermin1 and
 also give welcome shelter from the heat
 of the sun1 whilst they undoubtedly add
 to the amount of insect life in the    
run4  ,if you wish to study economy in  
feeding1 an excellent plan is to mix    
barley meal with your duck meal2        
commence in the proportion of four parts
 duck meal to one of barley meal1 and   
increase the proportion of the latter   
until the mixture is half and half4 ,too
 much barley meal is1 ,i feel sure1 a   
bad thing1 and causes indigestion1 and  

if expense is no object it is best to   
stick to the wild duck meal until the   
ducks are weaned to corn2 if1 however1  
you do decide to feed on barley meal1 it
 is a good plan to mix a little bran    
with it1 in the proportion of one part  
bran to four of barley meal4  ,you      
should get the ducks on to corn as soon 
as possible1 and teach them to eat it in
 shallow water2 they don't eat it so    
fast if this plan is adopted1 are less  
liable to get indigestion1 and in       
searching for the food are constantly   
drinking water at the same time as the  
food1 as well as a certain amount of    
grit1 sand1 c4 ,ducks must have water   
with their food1 and the sooner they are
 trained to take corn and water         
together1 the better will their meals be
 digested2 moreover1 if fed in this way 
birds certainly require less1 and there 
is consequently a gratifying reduction  
in the grain bill at the end of the     
year4  ,to return to the run at the     
water's edge1 let it be assumed that the

 birds have been ten days to a fortnight
 in their new home1 have become         
thoroughly accustomed to it1 and        
naturally look upon it as the place     
where food is to be obtained at stated  
times4  ,it is now time to enlarge them 
altogether1 but before doing so liberate
 a few of the least vicious of the old  
ducks4 ,these birds very soon take      
charge of a certain number of young     
ones1 and directly the wire is pulled up
 will teach them where to look for food4
 ,it is a very pretty sight to see an   
old bird swimming at the head of twenty 
or thirty young ducklings1 who form a   
compact mass behind her1 and always     
accompany her in foraging expeditions4  
,she it is who warns them that it is    
nearly feeding time2 it is her eye which
 has detected a well-known figure       
hovering overhead1 and her voice which  
warns them to make for the nearest      
shelter4  ,by this time ,i am sure that 
my readers will be getting impatient    
because ,i have said so little as to the

 cost of food4 ,a golden rule is to give
 your ducklings all they will eat during
 the first seven or eight weeks1 and    
after that make them hunt for their     
natural food1 giving them just          
sufficient to keep them fairly fat and  
prevent them from straying4 ,it is quite
 possible to get them fat enough for the
 larder by increasing the supply of     
maize during the last fortnight or so   
before your shoot takes place4  ,i am of
 opinion that1 provided a man feeds and 
looks after his ducks himself1 is in    
possession of a supply of coops and     
runs1 and is fortunate enough to have a 
suitable piece of water of his own1 as  
well as a bit of ground to rear them on1
 that he can make his accounts balance  
at the end of the year4 ,in other words1
 he will be able to give his friends    
some very enjoyable shooting1 and supply
 himself with a hobby of which he will  
never be tired1 at no expense to        
himself4 ,in support of my statement ,i 
propose to give a few figures4 ,the     

breeding stock has of course to be      
purchased1 and for the sake of          
simplicity let us put it at twenty ducks
 and fifteen drakes1 making an initial  
cost of about ,l#g4 ,in an experience of
 some years1 however1 ,i have found that
 my stock at the end of the season      
numbers practically the same as at the  
commencement1 and ,i found it always    
possible to fill up any casualties by   
catching and pinioning wild birds which 
join my own4 ,on these grounds ,i       
consider that my stock at the end of the
 season is of the same value as at the  
beginning1 and that one side of my      
account balances the other4  ,the stock 
fed on maize will cost about #abs4 #f;d4
 a month1 and1 supposing that the first 
birds are hatched out about the middle  
of ,april1 and practically all1 except a
 very few retained for breeding purposes
 and some immature birds1 are killed the
 first week in ,september1 this         
calculation brings the price of feeding 
the breeding stock for seven and a half 

months to ,l#d1 #acs4 #i;d4  ,now for   
the food of the young birds4 ,i assume  
that from the above-mentioned stock     
about #bej ducklings will be reared1    
and1 taking an average of several years1
 their food from the date of hatching   
7mid ,april7 to early ,september works  
out roughly at ,l#af4 ,this includes    
wild duck meal1 wheat1 barley1 and      
barley meal1 a little maize1 and the    
many etceteras1 such as crissel1 grit1  
and cardiac4  ,to this should be added a
 little extra for the feeding of the    
immature birds1 which are not quite     
ready for killing4 ,put this at #aes4   
,in addition there is still the expense 
of sitting hens3 if twenty hens are     
purchased at #cs4 each and afterwards   
sold at #bs41 this item will work out as
 an expenditure of ,l#a4 ,they have of  
course to be fed1 but their food--maize 
is the best--has been taken from the    
food purchased for the ducks1 so that no
 further amount has to be charged under 
this heading4  ,the debit side of the   

account will now work out as follows3-- 
,food for ducklings             ,l#af   
#j  #j   ,food for old birds            
#d #ac  #i   ,extra food alluded to     
above      #j #ae  #j   ,expenses for   
sitting hens        #a  #j  #j          
---------                               
,l#bb  #h  #i  ,as against these figures
 there are #bej young ducks for sale3   
deduct from this number fifteen for     
casualties of various kinds1 such as    
dead birds unpicked at the shoot1 odd   
birds that may stray and be killed1 c41 
and this gives #bce4 ,if the birds are  
properly fed a game-dealer will be glad 
to give #bs4 each for them1 especially  
if the shoot is timed to fit some       
popular function1 such as ,doncaster    
,races2 so that the credit side of the  
account shows a sum of ,l#bc1 #ajs4 for 
the sale of #bce birds1 giving a small  
surplus of rather over ,l#a1 which can  
be used to meet incidental expenses1    
such as purchase of wire1 c4 ,each young
 bird will cost about #as4 #c-a_/b;d4 to

 rear1 and will sell for #bs41 leaving  
#h-a_/b;d4 a bird profit with which to  
meet the other expenses4 ,many of my    
readers may think the margin of fifteen 
birds set apart as casualties far too   
small1 but ,i can assure them that1 so  
far with me1 it has never reached that  
number1 and need not do so provided the 
birds are kept at home by proper        
feeding1 and the right people           
propitiated4  ,naturally one does not   
sell all one's ducks1 or anything like  
it4 ,some are given to the friends who  
come to the shoot1 and many are given to
 the farmers round1 but in considering  
accounts1 ,i think ,i am justified in   
including the value of birds given away 
as one of the assets4 ,in any case ,i   
have made an honest attempt to help     
those who wish to look before they leap4
 ,ducks are very fond of maize2 it      
certainly brings them on quicker than   
anything else1 and ,i have had young    
drakes of the year in full plumage on   
,august #a1 when maize has been the only

 corn used4 ,it is1 however1 too        
fattening1 ,i think1 and a bit apt to   
make the birds lazy4 ,i do not believe  
that birds fed solely on maize fly so   
well or are as good for the table as    
those whose diet is composed of a       
mixture of wheat1 barley1 and maize4    
,the birds must be encouraged to seek   
their natural food1 as only by this     
means will the wild duck's flavour be   
retained4  ,the birds must be fed at    
regular hours1 as this is the only      
guarantee that they will be at home when
 wanted4  ,i hope that in this chapter  
,i have succeeded in showing how wild   
ducks can be fed in the best and also   
most economical manner1 and ,i shall    
endeavour in the concluding one to give 
my readers some hints as to how the     
birds can be made to show reasonably    
good sport4     ,,shooting              
,illustration3 ,w4,l4 ,colls1 ,ph4 ,sc4 
,quite tall enough4     ,,chapter ,,iv  
,,shooting   ,the chief difficulty      
confronting a host who desires to give  

his guests good sport lies in the fact  
that it is no easy matter to get young  
hand-reared wild ducks to fly well1 and 
,i propose in this chapter to endeavour 
to show how it can best be done4  ,i say
 young birds1 as ,i think it will be    
admitted that wild duck1 if shot in late
 ,october or ,november1 will nearly     
always fly well4 ,many sportsmen will1  
however1 for various reasons1 not want  
to keep their birds so long1 either on  
the score of expense or for fear of     
their straying from home4 ,young wild   
ducks hatched about the second week in  
,april should1 if properly fed1 be in   
good plumage and fit to shoot by the    
first week in ,september2 and why1 their
 owner naturally asks1 should they go on
 eating their heads off when they are   
ready to be shot and eaten themselves4  
,partridge driving has not begun and the
 first edge has been taken off the      
grouse1 so why should not the ducks be  
shot now2 moreover1 if fed well they    
will fetch a good price in the market at

 this time1 as they will be in the      
nature of a treat so early in the       
season4 ,the methods of shooting        
hand-reared wild ducks may be divided   
into four3--  #a4 ,posting the guns at  
different spots on the margin of a lake 
or near it1 and flushing the ducks by   
means of dogs and beaters4  #b4         
,teaching the ducks to take a particular
 line of flight by means of a horn1 and 
then1 without using the horn on the day 
of the shoot1 intercepting them during  
their flight4  #c4 ,catching the ducks  
beforehand1 liberating them in          
convenient numbers1 and then driving    
them over the guns4  #d4 ,flight        
shooting4  ,to deal first of all with   
,no4 #a method4 ,let it be imagined that
 the host is fortunate enough to possess
 a lake or piece of marshy ground of    
considerable extent1 and bordered by    
reeds or flags1 which form good cover4  
,possibly the lake may narrow at some   
part1 and if so our host's dispositions 
are easy2 he places his guns on either  

shore at the neck1 and if there is room 
he fastens a punt in the water1 midway  
between the guns on land4 ,a second line
 of guns might1 of course1 be placed    
farther back4  ,if the lake winds about 
a good deal the ducks will probably cut 
across country1 and in any case can be  
easily made to do so by being flagged in
 or by being fed in a certain direction2
 there will very likely be some belt of 
trees in their line of flight1 and if so
 some delightful sport may be had at    
high birds1 the guns being placed in the
 open and well back from the trees1     
unless the birds are very shy4  ,when   
the dispositions of the host are made1  
spaniels and keepers will beat the      
rushes on either side of the lake1      
driving the ducks over the guns1 and the
 dogs can then be taken to the farther  
end and a return drive given when the   
ducks have been over the guns once2 the 
latter will probably have to conceal    
themselves for this return drive1 as the
 birds will now be more wary1 and many  

that have not settled at the farther end
 of the lake may be circling high       
overhead4  ,after a time it will        
probably be necessary to rest the birds 
for an hour or two for fear of driving  
them clean away4 ,don't forget when the 
shoot is over to have a thorough hunt   
for dead birds and cripples2 the pick up
 is always a big one1 as very few birds 
are missed entirely4 ,the best time to  
shoot at a high-flying duck is just     
after he has passed overhead1 as then   
the shot gets behind the feathers and   
penetrates more easily4  ,the best shot 
to use is1 ,i think1 ,no4 #d4  ,the     
disadvantages of the above plan are3 7a7
 all the birds are frightened badly1 and
 some are sure to be lost2 7b7 some     
birds1 which strictly speaking are      
barely ready1 are certain to be shot4   
,illustration3 ,,an ,,ineffective       
,,cripple ,,stopper  ,many a good day's 
sport have ,i enjoyed with the ducks in 
,india4 ,in the ,north-,west ,provinces1
 where ,i was once quartered1 there are 

a number of jheels or huge lakes1 and   
during the cold weather these are       
tenanted by countless wild-fowl of      
nearly every variety4 ,the plan usually 
adopted is to post the guns some        
distance apart and where they can best  
command the favourite feeding grounds of
 the birds2 natives are then sent to    
different parts of the lake to stir the 
fowl and afterwards to keep them on the 
move1 should they settle at a distance  
from where the guns are placed4 ,well ,i
 remember the keen pleasure1 not unmixed
 with anxiety1 with which ,i received an
 invitation to shoot a celebrated jheel 
which had not been disturbed that       
season4 ,ten guns1 ,i was told1 were    
coming4 ,now ,i knew that there were not
 more than half-a-dozen really safe guns
 in the immediate neighbourhood1 and ,i 
determined that in my case discretion   
should be the better part of valour4 ,i 
accepted the invitation with certain    
mental reservations4  ,arrived at the   
rendezvous1 ,i found an old friend and  

good shot2 in addition several good     
fellows1 some of whom1 though charming  
from a social point of view1 plainly    
showed by the rather defiant manner in  
which they handled their guns that they 
were best avoided on the present        
occasion4 ,fortunately for my friend and
 myself we were rather short of boats1  
so with apparent good nature we insisted
 on staying on shore1 where we could get
 well out of range if necessary4 ,we    
speedily secreted ourselves amongst some
 tall reeds1 and well away from the     
direction towards which the fleet of    
boats was making4 ,one of these1        
strongly resembling a three-decker1 had 
three guns on board1 all of whom stood  
upright throughout the action4 ,her we  
christened the ,man of ,war4 ,the       
smaller craft skirmished in her         
vicinity1 and for two hours the battle  
raged furiously4 ,no distance was too   
great1 no waterfowl too small or        
insignificant for their attention2 but  
endurance has its limits1 and at last we

 noticed that even the ,man of ,war was 
silenced1 having fired upwards of #fjj  
rounds4 ,slowly and solemnly the ,fleet 
worked its way back to tiffin4          
,illustration3 ,,before ,,the ,,evening 
,,meal  ,in the meantime my friend and  
,i had some capital sport1 killing      
several pintail before these birds1     
always the first to leave1 had finally  
departed4 ,in addition we got some grey 
duck1 gadwall1 and a number of garganey 
and pochard4 ,later1 when the boats had 
all left the jheel1 the fowl slowly     
began to return1 and we now realised    
with satisfaction that we were well     
placed4 ,never have ,i had better sport 
or enjoyed myself more1 and when at     
length we were peremptorily informed    
that the return train was shortly due   
7and even ,indian trains don't wait for 
one more than half-an-hour71 we         
staggered into the little wayside       
station1 followed by our coolies1       
carrying enough ducks to feed the       
station for a week4 ,the second method  

has now to be dealt with4  ,nothing is  
easier than to accustom the ducks to    
come to feed at stated times4  ,at first
 a horn may be used and then gradually  
dropped1 and in a very short time the   
birds will know the time of day as well 
as their feeder does2 the latter must be
 stern with them1 absolutely declining  
to feed them except at the regular      
hours1 one of which will be timed to    
suit the hour it is intended to commence
 the shoot4 ,before commencing this     
tuition the host will have to select the
 place from which he wishes the birds to
 fly1 and also the feeding ground which 
is the end of their journey4  ,ducks    
prefer to rest during the day1 and are  
very fond of shade2 provide them1       
therefore1 if possible1 with a          
plantation on some sloping ground fairly
 near water1 where they can get shelter 
from sun and wind4 ,i have found willows
 excellent for this purpose1 as by      
topping they can always be kept at the  
required height4 ,such a spot will do   

admirably as jumping-off place1 and here
 the birds may regularly be expected to 
rest after their night's wandering in   
search of food4 ,the next step is to    
select the feeding ground1 which should 
be some little distance from the spot   
described2 preferably it should be on   
high ground1 so that the ducks in their 
flight have to pass over some sort of   
valley situated between the two places4 
,in this valley the guns are placed     
shortly before the feeding hour1 and as 
that time approaches small detachments  
of ducks will wing their way across the 
valley for their meal1 and give most    
sporting shots4 ,it is1 of course1      
essential that the resting-place by day 
and the feeding ground are not too close
 together1 as if this is the case many  
birds hearing the firing close at hand  
may be scared from coming to their food4
  ,illustration3 ,a ,,right ,,and ,,left
  ,after this the birds may be driven   
back the reverse way1 though naturally  
this practice cannot be repeated more   

than once or twice in the year1 or the  
birds will be scared away from the      
feeding ground altogether4  ,if the host
 has a piece of water at right angles to
 the flight of the birds many will      
scatter after passing the guns and      
settle2 and later on these birds can be 
driven up and down the water as         
described in the first method4  ,one    
great advantage of the first stage of   
this plan is that the birds mostly fall 
on dry land and are easily retrieved4   
,if the ground does not lend itself     
favourably for high birds the difficulty
 can be largely overcome by planting a  
belt of trees and then placing the guns 
in the open a little distance back2     
birds inclined to break out at the sides
 can easily be flagged in4  ,it is a    
good plan to run some wire along the    
slope of the ducks' resting place1 as it
 facilitates their rising at once1 and  
they get into the habit of flying the   
whole distance instead of walking part  
of it4  ,the third system has now to be 

considered4 ,it is the most artificial  
of all1 and is most suitable in cases   
where the ground does not lend itself   
well for high birds1 or the host is not 
a man of unlimited means1 but is        
fortunate enough to have the shooting   
rights over a fine stretch of water4    
,the ducks probably vary considerably in
 size and age1 as the owner1 not having 
a large breeding stock1 has not been    
able to put down a large number of eggs 
at once4  ,the time has1 however1 come1 
when he has sufficient to give his      
friends a very nice shoot4 ,it is1 of   
course1 undesirable to frighten or      
damage either the pinioned or immature  
birds1 and these latter will have to be 
sorted from those which are fit to kill4
  ,the first step will be to accustom   
the birds to feed inside a wire         
enclosure1 with some dark building1 such
 as a barn or stable1 at one end of the 
enclosure1 and connected with it by     
means of a door4 ,the birds all having  
been coaxed inside the enclosure to     

feed1 shut the door of the enclosure    
quietly1 and gradually drive the birds  
into the dark building4 ,here the birds 
will be left all night1 and owing to the
 darkness will not damage themselves4 ,a
 certain amount of ventilation and some 
water will be necessary4  ,illustration3
 ,,at ,,the ,,end ,,of ,,the ,,day  ,it 
is a bad plan to give them any food     
beyond a light meal the evening they are
 caught1 and certainly nothing next     
morning1 as otherwise they will fly     
badly and heavily when liberated4  ,next
 morning1 those ducks that are fit to   
shoot will be separated from the        
pinioned birds and those that are       
immature1 and these latter can be       
conveyed in hampers to any convenient   
building1 and fed4  ,they will be kept  
in confinement during the shoot4  ,now  
for the shoot itself4 ,the man who feeds
 the ducks has for a considerable time  
trained the ducks to fly in and out of  
the paddock or yard1 in which the       
enclosure is situated4 ,this is easily  

done by stretching a piece of wire1     
which can be gradually increased in     
height1 across the boundary of the      
paddock into which the ducks come for   
their food4 ,they soon get accustomed to
 this wire1 and realise they will get no
 supper if they don't take the trouble  
to fly4  ,as has already been mentioned1
 the owner of the ducks has the shooting
 rights over a fine piece of water1 and 
on this water1 and in the cover which   
grows round it1 the birds pass the time 
between their feeding hours4 ,there is  
sure to be a line of willow trees of    
some sort or other near the water's     
edge1 and it is over these the ducks    
must be made to fly4 ,provided that a   
small clump of low willows1 or other    
cover1 is planted some distance from the
 rearing field1 with the high willow    
trees standing between the two1 it is   
quite easy1 by occasionally feeding in  
this little cover1 to accustom the birds
 to look on it as their sanctuary1 and  
when liberated from their enforced      

confinement they will make straight for 
it1 and over the tops of the intervening
 trees4 ,all that has to be done now is 
to place the guns between the tall      
willow trees and the little cover1 but  
well in the open1 so that the ducks may 
see them and be induced to rise higher  
in consequence4  ,a little false cover  
can now be put along the wire before    
alluded to at the edge of the rearing   
field1 to make the birds rise better1   
and to prevent the guns from getting any
 inkling of your plan of operations4    
,illustration3 ,,coming ,,on ,a ,,side  
,,wind  ,all is now ready1 and at a     
given signal the birds which have been  
shut up all night will be liberated in  
detachments of varied numbers1 first    
from the dark building1 and secondly    
from the wire enclosure4 ,thoroughly    
frightened with their unaccustomed      
imprisonment1 they take wing at once1   
and make the best of their way to the   
sanctuary1 giving the guns most sporting
 shots4 ,should the wind be across their

 line of flight to the sanctuary1 you   
will of course have to flag them in1 as 
ducks always rise up wind1 and love to  
fly against it2 nothing they detest so  
much as getting their feathers ruffled4 
,it will be found that they always fly  
best on a dull stormy day4  ,the piece  
of water behind the guns should         
preferably run at right angles to the   
line of flight of the birds from the    
paddock to their sanctuary1 as after the
 birds have passed the guns they will   
split up right and left1 and settle at  
one end or the other4 ,the guns will    
next be placed so as to command the     
water from bank to bank1 one of them    
being placed1 if necessary1 in a boat   
moored for the purpose in midstream4    
,the ducks are now driven over the guns 
again1 down wind for choice1 and this   
can be followed by a return drive1 which
 ends the day's sport4  ,an hour later  
some one must search the lake thoroughly
 for cripples1 and when this has been   
done the breeding stock and immature    

birds should be released4  ,a           
modification of this plan may be tried1 
though ,i do not recommend it4 ,instead 
of the birds being liberated from the   
enclosure as already described1 they are
 caught1 placed in hampers1 and conveyed
 to some convenient spot at a distance  
from home1 and then liberated in the    
numbers required4 ,the birds naturally  
fly straight home1 and sometimes fly    
well4 ,care must be taken to set them   
free amongst surroundings they know1    
otherwise they are cowed like a rabbit  
liberated away from its burrow4 ,it is  
also advisable to place some obstacle   
across their line of flight1 and about  
sixty yards in front of the guns1 so as 
to make the birds rise well4 ,the last  
plan has the obvious disadvantage that  
the ducks must be cramped to a certain  
extent by their imprisonment in the     
hampers1 and it savours too much of the 
artificial to ever prove a complete     
success4 ,on the other hand1 the method 
described as the third works well2 the  

birds are not crowded1 but on being     
liberated are glad to escape2 they are  
frightened and mean to fly well3 but    
best of all your breeding stock and     
immature birds will1 if this principle  
be adopted1 know nothing of the shoot1  
and on being let go1 will settle down in
 a very few hours and will assist in    
taming those birds which have been shot 
at but escaped4 ,whatever you do be     
careful to conceal all your plans from  
your guns1 when artificial methods are  
adopted2 the day is always more         
enjoyable if the guests cannot see how  
their host manages matters4             
,illustration3 ,,ladies ,,in ,,waiting  
,ducks are extraordinarily good         
barometers1 and by their behaviour on   
the water invariably give warning of    
coming rain or storm4  ,no one who has  
kept wild ducks long has failed to      
notice their peculiar uneasiness before 
bad weather4  ,suddenly one bird with   
outstretched wings will dash madly on   
the surface of the water1 and behaving  

much in the same way as a flapper chased
 by a dog1 throw itself into the air1   
and dive suddenly on alighting again3 in
 a moment this is taken up by every bird
 on the water1 until one sees the       
extraordinary sight of two or three     
hundred ducks behaving just as if they  
were mad4 ,they dash in all directions  
and appear quite unable to control      
themselves4 ,when all this is noticed   
there is pretty sure to be rain within  
twelve hours4  ,the last but by no means
 least sporting form of duck shooting   
must now receive a little attention4 ,i 
allude to ,flight ,shooting4 ,as winter 
comes on the ducks' natural instincts   
have begun to assert themselves1 and    
regularly at dusk1 heads will go up1 and
 a peculiar uneasiness manifest itself3 
very shortly the birds will fly off1    
after one or two preliminary circles    
round1 to the feeding ground they have  
selected1 though if properly fed they   
will not go far4 ,all that has to be    
done is to observe where the ducks feed1

 and place the guns either in the line  
of flight between the birds' home and   
their feeding ground or round the       
feeding ground itself4  ,no sport is    
more fascinating than this--the absolute
 solitude1 the dull red glow of the     
light fading in the west1 gradually     
getting fainter and fainter1 the light  
shiver of the reeds1 as a breath of wind
 rustles through them1 and best of all  
the whistle of beating pinions high     
overhead1 betokening the welcome        
intelligence that birds are circling    
round1 and making a full inspection of  
the feeding ground before alighting4    
,don't move now whatever you do1 your   
retriever1 sitting close at your side1  
will move his head quite enough1 without
 your stirring as well3 if you watch him
 you will soon get a pretty good idea as
 to where the birds are4  ,presently the
 noise becomes louder1 and then with a  
loud swish the birds come right at you4 
,throw up your gun quietly and quickly  
and fire at once--don't dwell on your   

aim1 and let us hope that the dog has no
 difficulty in retrieving a bird that   
was evidently cleanly killed4  ,ducks1  
like other birds1 always alight facing  
the wind1 and this fact must be borne in
 mind when selecting the stand4 ,should 
there be no wind to speak of1 it is best
 to face the fading light1 unless the   
ducks are known to make a practice of   
coming from one particular direction4   
,they are most capricious birds1 here   
to-day1 and gone to-morrow1 but this all
 adds to the fascination of the sport4  
,i remember once killing eight ducks at 
a particular spot one evening1 and not  
even getting a shot the next1 although  
there were hundreds of ducks in the     
neighbourhood4 ,very different sport to 
this does one get in the ,east4 ,the man
 who goes ,flight ,shooting there is    
almost certain of good sport1 provided  
he knows what he is about4 ,well ,i     
remember a certain evening in ,upper    
,burmah4 ,it was at ,alon on the river  
,chindwin1 and during the last ,burmese 

war4  ,we were not supposed to go far   
from the ,fort1 but if we took an armed 
escort with us1 no objection was raised4
  ,there was a large jheel about two    
miles from the ,fort1 which was much    
overshot by the small garrison quartered
 there1 and during the day little could 
be seen on its surface besides a few    
whistling teal1 a duck that gives poor  
sport1 and is only just worth eating4   
,i discovered1 however1 that at dusk    
hundreds of ducks returned to the jheel 
from all directions1 remaining there    
probably until dawn4  ,followed by my   
soldier servant as an escort1 ,i made my
 way to the jheel1 and having made our  
passage in one of the frail boats1 known
 as dug-outs1 we eventually arrived at a
 small island which ,i had selected for 
my stand4  ,never shall ,i forget that  
evening4 ,for about twenty minutes ,i   
shot nearly as fast as ,i could load1   
and not too well1 ,i am afraid4  ,ducks 
of several different varieties were     
coming fast1 and at all angles and      

elevations4  ,many an old sportsman will
 understand my difficulties4 ,i had of  
course no second gun1 no ejector1 and at
 times ,i utterly forgot the motto      
,festina lente4  ,at last it was over1  
and ,i went home moderately satisfied   
with about five-and-twenty ducks1       
leaving1 alas6 a large number unpicked1 
as we had no dog4  ,when your shoot is  
over1 and the season is drawing to its  
close1 the only work left amongst the   
ducks is to select the breeding stock   
for next season4  ,the best to keep are 
long and well-furnished birds1 as they  
always fly better1 and lay more eggs    
than the short thick-set variety3 they  
should have rakish-looking heads1 with  
long bills1 chrome yellow tinged with   
green in the case of the drake1 and dull
 brown fringed with bright orange in the
 case of the duck4 ,the eyes should be  
set high in the head1 and the head      
itself appear to be slightly angular in 
appearance1 and not too round at the    
crown4 ,i believe in fairly light       

coloured birds1 as ,i have always       
noticed that any strange birds that     
arrive appear lighter in colour than my 
own1 and ,i think that the darker and   
coarser birds do not fly so well4 ,in   
any case get rid of all short thick-set 
birds--they will do for the table1 but  
not for sport4  ,in taking leave of my  
readers1 ,i hope that ,i may have been  
fortunate enough to secure a little of  
their interest1 and that this book may  
prove of some assistance to those who1  
like myself1 love wild duck1 and        
consider a few hours spent daily in     
their company an education and a treat4 
,printed by ,,ballantyne1 ,,hanson      
,,co4   ,edinburgh  ,london