The Mallard Duck: Outlines for Scout Workers

Male Female MALLARD DUCK Outlines for Scout Workers BY DELBERT \V. PARR ATT. A. M. THE MALLARD DUCK "No duck is bad when appetite waits on digestion." — Shakespeare. i. r>y what other two names is the mallard known? 2. Wild ducks are generally divided into three classes. What are they and why so called? To which class does the mallard belong? 3. Note size, shape, and color of the mallard. Contrast size and color of male and female and explain why these differences. 4. Contrast shape of mallard's body with that of hen. Which is boat-shaped? Give two reasons for this. 5. Note difference in feet of duck and chicken. Why this dif- ference? Also difference in legs. Why this? 6. Contrast the duck's bill with that of the chicken, in shape, size, and "teeth." Why these differences? Of what use are the teeth?" 7. On what does the mallard subsist, and how is it adapted to procure its food? When does it feed? Why then? 8. Of what is its nest made? Where built? Why there? Does it nest in our valley? If so, in what part? 9. About how many eggs to the setting? Of what color and size are they? What are the principal enemies of the eggs and how are the enemies warded off?

24 IMPRl >Vl MEN I EF \ 10. The mallard is a swift, tireless flyer. What i- there about his bodj to indicate this? Under what condition does he fly high? Why? Fly low? Win What is the best weather for duck hunt Whs 11. The duck nils itself. How and why? 12. The tame duck comes from the mallard. In what interesting particular are they alike even today? 13. What is meant hy the duck malady, and what is being done t" help the duck in this connection? 14. Should we protect the wild ducks' Why? Mow is this being tl< net What is mean! l>y the duck season? BANDY MATERIAL "1 have given yon roe and reindeer, I have given you brant and beaver, 1 tiled the marshes full of wild-fowl, Pilled the river full of fishes." — Longfellow. Ducks are divided into three classes — sea ducks, river ducks, and fish ducks. There are about one hundred species of sea ducks. They are found in large flocks, in open places, on large lakes, bays, etc. They do not, as a rule, "tip up" when feeding, but dive deep for their food, which consists mainly of animal mat- ter, but not including fish. These ducks have the hind toe bordered with a rounded membrane or lobelike web. They are generally day feeders. With the exception of the canvas-back, sea ducks are not good for food. The river clucks (fifty species) include most of our river and pond ducks. They do nut dive for their food, only "tip up." They feed in shallow places on animal and vegetable matter, such as roots, seeds, snails, and insects. The hind toe has no lobe. The fish ducks are narrow billed. They have lobed toe, and dive for food which consists mostly of fish. There are only three species in North America, none of which is good for food. The mallard, also known as Wild Duck and Greenhead, is one of the river clucks. It is twenty-three inches long and has a brilliantly colored head, chestnut breast, with white ring around lower part of neck. The belly and sides are nearly white, barred with fine, wavy lines of black and white. The back is brown with some black. The female is mottle, buffy, and brownish black. The male is larger and brighter in color, larger to protect the fe- male, and brighter in color to attract the female in mating season. Indeed the differences between male and female in color and size are so pronounced that one, not acquainted with the birds, would scarcely take them to belong to the same family group. The strong characteristics of the male have given the name by which both he and the female are known. The word, mallard, comes from tualc and ard, male referring to the sex and arcl to the degree of the sex. The mallard, therefore, is a male with strong sex

OUTLINES Mik SCO! I WORKERS 25 qualities. The suffix ard, as here used, has the same significance as in coward, drunkard, and laggard — that of abundance or excess. Mallards mate much earlier than do any of the other birds thus far studied. Their season for pairing is during the late autumn and winter months. Since the showy colors and mark- ings of the male are primarily to attract the female, it follows the striking features of the male are most pronounced at this time. Tn fact, during the summer months his coloring is nigh on as somber as that of the female and in this regard, from laying season to late fall, the two can scarcely be told apart. This dull, gray-brown, sombre coloring so blends with the mallard's natural surroundings that it affords a most excellent protection. By squatting among reeds and grasses and remaining perfectly still, the cluck is scarcely observed by searching enemies. Of course, to the nesting female this non-attractive color is of special value in this regard. The mallard's body, being boat shaped, is adapted for swift flying as well as floating. The large breast muscles indicate a strong flyer. On clear days it flies very high, while on cloudy days it flies low. Hunters take advantage of this fact in hunting ducks. The nest is built of grass, leaves, and down from the duck's breast. It is built along the banks of streams, and often on an isolated island in mid-stream. The mallard lays from six to twelve eggs of light blue or greenish gray, in size about that of a small hen's e^. Whenever the sitting duck leaves her nest she is particular in seeing that all the eggs are completely covered with the down of which the nest is so abundantly provided. The duck has an oil gland located on its back near the tail, from which it gets oil to moisten its feathers. Our domestic duck was originally a mallard. They both, even now, have the same call for their young. Our wild ducks, of late years, have been troubled with a serious malady, from which many have died. The game com- missioner has been investigating this trouble, but has been unable to find its cause. It is thought that the disease may have been caused by the emptying of the sewerage into Jordan River. Section twenty-five of the fish and game law of our state pro- vides for the protection of our wild ducks and specifies the sea- son for hunting them. The section reads as follows: Sec. 25. Ducks, Geese. Etc. Tt shall be unlawful for any person to take, kill, wound, sliont at or have in his possession or to rob or destroy any nest, egg, or young of, any wild duck. goose, or snipe This provision shall not prohibit the killing of not more than twelve geese or twenty-five of all the birds mentioned in this Section, in any one day, during the season allowed therefor, which shall com- mence on the first day of October of each year and close on the

26 IMPROVEMENT ERA thirty-first day of December following, in all counties of the State, except that the season shall close on the fifteenth day of March in Washington, Kane, San Juan, Grand and Uintah Counties. In San- pete, Beaver, Emery, Garfield, Wasatch, Iron, Millard and Juab Counties there shall be a further open season each year which shall begin on the fifteenth day of February- and close on the fifteenth day of March following. In Salt Lake, Davis, Weber, Box Elder, Utah and Cache Counties there shall be a further open season during the year nineteen hundred thirteen, only, which shall commence on the fifteenth day of February and close on the fifteenth day of March. But it shall be uillawful to take, kill, wound or shoot any of said birds between six forty-five o'clock, p. m., and six-thirty o'clock a. m., the day following, during September or October; or between six o'clock p. m., and six forty-five o'clock a. m., on the day following, in November; or between five thirty-five o'clock p. m., and seven o'clock a. m., on the day following in De- cember; or between six forty-five o'clock, p. m. and six-thirty o'clock a. m., on the day following, during all other portions of the open season. Every person who shall violate any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and failure by the party in possession to give satisfactory explanation shall be deemed prima facie evidence of guilt. References: Apgar's Birds of the United States; Students' Reference Work, Vol. IT; Juvenile Instructor, October, 1914. Governor Blease on Smoking In a late address before the State Legislature, and recom- mending that a law be passed to prohibit smoking in dining halls and restaurants where women are present, Governor Blease of South Carolina is reported to have said : "Those of you who are as old as I am will recall the time in South Carolina when if a gentleman smoked a pipe or cigar while walking along on the street by the side of a lady, he was not regarded as well reared, and such a thing as smoking while riding in a buggy with a young lady would not have been tolerated. But today we have not only seen these things, but we have gone .a great deal further, and too far. I regret exceedingly to know that people in South Carolina (1 will not say gentlemen, nor will I say true men) sit in our public dining rooms, restaurants and cafes and smoke cigars and foul little cigarettes, and whiff and puff and blow the smoke out through their nostrils, and this smoke is carried either by the natural breezes or the current of an electric fan into the eyes, mouths and nostrils of refined women. "It makes me ashamed of my state. Tf I were in one of those places with a lady and should sec a man light a cigarette or cigar I would quietly ask him please not to smoke." This applies to Utah and Tdaho as well.