WILD DUCK.
HWYAD WYLLT. OAR AN HWYAD. GOES HWYAD, OF THE ANCIENT BRITISH.
COMMON WILD DUCK. MALLARD.
Anas boschas, PENNANT. MONTAGU.
Anas /era, BRISSON.
Anas—A Duck. Boschas— ?
THE Wild Duck is common over the continent of Europe, from
Norway and Sweden. It is found also in Asia, even to Japan; and
in America, from Labrador, Behring's Straits, Newfoundland, to the
United States; but in the latter is rate. Farther-south, however, they
are said to become more common again, and in Florida to be exceedingly
abundant.
Mr. Thomas Allis, of Osbaldwick, near York, thus writes in his
' L i s t of Yorkshire Birds,' of the present species—'Of rare occurrence
near Halifax and Hehdeu Bridge, not uncommon about Barnsley,
frequent in the vicinity of Sheffield and Doncaster; it occurs near
Iluddeisfield, is occasionally seen about Leeds; it is common about
York, and breeds in several localities in the neighbourhood; it is met
with at Pilmoor, near Thirsk. Arthur Strickland writes, in the year
1800 the Act for the Beverley and Barmston drainage was passed: in
this Act compensation for the destruction of the two principal decoys
in this county was provided for, and which necessarily took place
soon after the drainage of the country. These were the decoys of
Watton and Scorborough. Two other decoys, those of Holme and
Meaux, probably ceased to be used about tlus time also. I am informed
that at the decoy of Watton only, which had a range of
upwards of a thousand acres of water, nearly four hundred Ducks
have been known to be taken in one day. We may imagine the
change in these matters in a country where now only a few chance
birds fall by the gun in the course of a winter.'