The latter arrive in great numbers from the Continent during the colder months. Drainage of the fens, and improvements in agriculture have, of course, lessened the numbers of those that breed with us; but flapper-shooting on the flats and the want of protection are decimating them largely on the Essex and North Kent marsh-lands. All good authorities on the subject agree that there ought to be a close time for our Wild Duck up to the 1st of September, whereas in Essex protection extends only to August 16th, and in Kent only till the 13th of that month. In shooting the Flappers, or young birds, many an old Drake gets killed; having lost his quills he is incapable of flight. He does not put on his full new dress until the middle of October. Flappers are easily killed as they reach full growth before their wings are fledged; so that it is not really fair sport, which should give a free field. As old Peter Hawker, the father of Wild Duck Shooting said, flapper-shooting is often more like hunting water-rats than shooting birds. They haunt deep and retired parts of a brook, or stream, in families. Flappers are only called Wild Ducks when they take wing. In the Fens formerly, until put a stop to by Act of Parliament, not only were Flappers shot as they are now, but an annual driving of the young birds before they could fly took place. A vast tract was beaten, and the birds were forced into a net placed where the sport was to terminate. A hundred and fifty dozens have been taken at once in this fashion. If our handsome British Wild Duck is to be preserved to us, further steps must now be taken to enforce and extend the close time for our home-bred birds of this species. Both duck and drake are the size of the domestic duck, which is a near relation of its wild congener. It is the loudest cackler of the ponds. The drake has splendid plumage. The whole of the head has a fine green metallic lustre, this being separated from the rest of the colouring by a white band round the neck. A small bunch of feathers, curled upwards, stands on the rump, which is smooth black, as is also the under tail cover. It has a beautiful, lustrous violet patch bordered on each side with white, on its wings. Neck and breast are chestnut-brown; the mantle finely and beautifully spotted. The underparts light grey, each feather having fine dark stripes. Bill greenish; legs orange. The female bird is yellowish-brown speckled with dark brown. [Illustration: CHIEFLY USEFUL. THE PINTAILED DUCK.] THE PINTAILED DUCK. (_Dafila acuta._)