56 Transactions. — Zoology. 



land ; and it was never wet, as drainage went away at once. 

 The birds were fed with the best corn and other seeds, sopped 

 bread with water, cabbage, and lettuce. The water used for 

 the birds was always rain-water, and no other birds were 

 with them. No meat, liver, or milk was given them as food. 

 They were in a private part of the Museum grounds, and the 

 public could not get to them. The only creatures we ever 

 saw in the avairy were sparrows and rats. Gould the rats 

 communicate the disease ? I should add that after the birds 

 had been here one month a hen died, and later on I lost a 

 cock-bird, l)ut unfortunately, I am sorry to say, I made no 

 examination of either. I have since heard that other societies 

 who imported the Eeeves pheasant lost all by death before 

 turning out. 



Art. XIII. — Crossing ivitli the Muscovy Duck. 



By Coleman Phillips. 



{Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 11th July, 1899.] 



The specimen before members was bred by crossing some 

 pure-bred Muscovy ducks, imported from Sydney about the 

 year 1892, with, I believe, a pure-bred slaty-blue Andalusian 

 drake (if that is the proper name of the breed, being of the 

 same colour as the Andalusian fowls), which are often brought 

 into Wellington from the neighbouring coast ports and sold 

 by the auctioneers about February and March in each year. 

 I only managed to rear one of this cross myself, but a sitting 

 of the eggs I gave to Mr. W. J. Martin, of Huangaroa (in the 

 Wairarapa), about October, 1898. He was lucky enough to 

 hatch out three drakes, one of which is now before the 

 meeting. On the 29th March, 1899, being about four months 

 old, this duck weighed 4^ lb. without the skin, &c. It ap- 

 pears so excellent a cross that Sir James Hector has very 

 kindly had the bird stuffed. Great credit is due to Mr. 

 Martin for the admirable manner in which he has reared this 

 drake. The result shows what good feeding and a good cross 

 will do — he reared it chiefly upon pollard and soaked wheat. 

 As we are anxious to breed good poultry for the English 

 market this specimen may prove useful as a guide. The 

 weight of the dead bird at so young an age should reconmiend 

 it to breeders, although it might have been killed one month 

 earlier with advantage, but Mr. Martin thought it better to 

 keep it until the neck-feathers had obtained their proper 

 colouring. I think it would have been in more prime con- 

 dition and a better weight than at present had it been killed 

 at three mouths old. 



