. Animals in menageries. as 1813, observes,that the common duck, as well as other wild fowl,becomes scarcer every year in a country like this, whereagriculture makes such rapid progress; few, compara-tively, remain to breed with us, since the more extensivefens have been drained and converted into great fenny tracts in Lincolnshire do not producea dozen broods of wild fowl at present; where, half acentury back, as many thousands were hatched. In atour through that country, observes colonel Montagu,during the incubating season, we observed that themallards congregated while the duck
. Animals in menageries. as 1813, observes,that the common duck, as well as other wild fowl,becomes scarcer every year in a country like this, whereagriculture makes such rapid progress; few, compara-tively, remain to breed with us, since the more extensivefens have been drained and converted into great fenny tracts in Lincolnshire do not producea dozen broods of wild fowl at present; where, half acentury back, as many thousands were hatched. In atour through that country, observes colonel Montagu,during the incubating season, we observed that themallards congregated while the ducks were sitting; itis therefore probable, that, like the domestic ones, theyare mostly polygamous. 240 ANIMALS IN MENAGERIES. The Blue-minged Duck. Boschas discors, Sw. (Fiff, 36.) Anas discors, Linn., Gmelin, i. 535. Wilson, viii. pi. 68. f. Zool. ii. Sarcelle Soucrourou, PL Enl. 866. male,403. female. White-faced Duck, Arctic Zool ii. Gen. Syn. vi. 502. male. Blue-winged Teal, Syn. vi. The blue-winged duck is one of the smallest andmost elegant of the American freshwater ducks; andalthough we have no evidence of its having been inany way domesticated, yet there is nothing in its historyto induce the belief that it would not thrive very well^if not propagate^ on our inclosed waters. Althoughlong known to naturalists, who had classed the sexes asdistinct species, we must have recourse to the celebratedornithologist of America, the immortal Wilson^ for allthat is interesting in its natural history. The blue-winged duck is the first of its tribe thatreturns to the United States in the autumn, from itsbreeding-place in the north. They are usually seen inSeptember, along the shores of the Delaware, sittingon the mud close to the edge of the water, so crowdedtogether, that the gunners often kill great numbers at asingle shot. When a flock is discovered thus sittingand sunning themselves, the experienced sportsman runshis canoe ashore at some distanc
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Keywords: ., bookauthorrichmondch, bookcentury1800, booksubjectanimalbehavior
