page [11] (seq. 12)

11
1900
Feb. 21
to Mar. 10
(6)

The Wood Ducks occupy the end of
the long stream of flowing water, oppo-
site the Teals, and one could never tire
watching these exquisite birds. They are
not as gaudy as the Mandarin, but the
colors harmonize, and make a more
satisfying tout ensemble. I can
imagine one tiring of the excessive
brilliancy of the Mandarin, never of
the Wood Duck. The colors of the male
are well known and often figured.
The Ducks were swimming about, bathing
sometimes flying up to the perches erected
over the water, or asleep on the bank,
or busily preening their feathers. Here
a male is attentively following every
movement of his mate, and I saw one
pair sitting together on a perch, the fe-
male actually leaning on her handsome
drake. The females have a queer way
of throwing the head forward and down
and uttering an odd note, far from
musical. The Mandarin females did much
the same thing. The males uttered a
short sort of peep. I was interested to
note that these Ducks as well as two
or three other species moved freely the
upper mandible without moving the
head. It is easy to make these
observations when one is standing
within one foot of the object observed.