Release date is 2007-01-25

The wit of a duck -- An astonished porcupine -- Human traits in the animals -- The downy woodpecker -- A barn-door outlook -- Wild life in winter -- Bird life in winter -- A birds' free lunch -- Bird-nesting time -- A breath of April -- The woodcock's evening hymn -- The coming of summer.

Produced by Joseph R. Hauser, Suzan Flanagan and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

"The Wit of a Duck and Other Papers" by John Burroughs is a collection of essays written in the early 20th century. The work explores themes of nature and animal behavior, showcasing Burroughs' observations of wildlife and their interactions with human experiences. Each essay unfolds a deeper understanding of the natural world through careful and poetic reflection, inviting readers into his intimate encounters with nature. The opening of this collection begins with "The Wit of a Duck," where Burroughs recounts a charming tale of a homesick mallard drake that tries to find its way back to its companions after being transported to a new location. Despite the challenges and obstacles the drake faces, he demonstrates a remarkable homing instinct, showcasing an innate ability to navigate his surroundings. Burroughs introduces the novel idea that animals possess a "home sense" akin to an extraordinary sixth sense, capturing the reader's attention with engaging storytelling that melds human emotion with animal behavior. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Original publication data not identified