Just to update you - went for a walk in the park yesterday and the homicidal mama duck and her nine kids are still there, but no sign of the deceased little victim. My DH says that's probably due to scavengers like crows and the like. Which is also why you seldom, if ever, see the bodies of small animals or birds - as Dr. Universe says in his answer to a child's question about why you seldom see bird corpses. Dr. Universe , by the way, is sponsored by Washington State University, in case you were wondering....