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CHAPTER XXXVII. 



DUCKS AND ORNAMENTAL WATERFOWL. 



WITH perhaps one exception (the Mus- 

 covy) the whole of the " farm " breeds 

 of ducks, and many of the others also, 

 are descended from the Wild duck or Mallard 

 (Anas boschas), which is distributed more widely 

 than perhaps any other bird over the entire 

 continent of Europe and a great part of North 

 America. Its range extends from the vicinity 

 of the pole in summer, to almost the torrid 

 zone in winter, the bird migrating regularly 

 towards the south on the approach of cold 

 weather, and returning with the summer to 

 northern regions. In the more southerly 

 countries it is a less frequent visitor, the tem- 

 perate latitudes being its favourite home ; but 

 it has been known to reach North Africa during 

 its winter migrations. Italy, Greece, and Spain 

 are however its most favourite winter quarters. 

 The colour of the Mallard resembles generally 

 that of the Rouen duck ; the shape is, however, 

 more slender and upright, and the habits much 

 more active. 



Every year a singular change takes place in 

 the plumage of the Mallard drake, which, as 

 it is common not only to the Rouen, but to 

 nearly all varieties of ducks in which the 

 plumage of the male greatly differs from that 

 of the female, deserves special notice. It is 

 described by Waterton as follows : " About 

 the 24th of May the breast and back of the 

 drake exhibit the first appearance of a change 

 of colour. In a few days after this the curled 

 feathers above the tail drop out, and grey 

 feathers begin to appear amongst the lovely 

 green plumage which surrounds the eyes. 

 Every succeeding day now begins marks of 

 rapid change. By the 23rd of June scarcely 

 one green feather is to be seen on the head 

 and neck of the bird. By the 6th of July 

 every feather of the former brilliant plumage 

 has disappeared, and the male has received a 

 garb like that of the female, though of a some- 

 what darker tint. In the early part of August 

 this new plumage begins to drop off gradually, 

 and by the loth of October the drake will 

 appear again in all his rich magnificence of 

 dress, than which scarcely anything through- 

 out the whole wide field of nature can be 

 seen more lovely, or better arranged to charm 

 the eye of man." The dates mentioned are 



of course subject to some variation, as Water- 

 ton observes, especially with domesticated and 

 other breeds. 



Marshes and fens are the chief resorts of 

 the Wild duck ; and drainage and other forms 

 of cultivation have now driven it away from 

 many an old haunt where it formerly was a 

 regular visitant. To others, however, it still 

 comes in large numbers, and is taken in various 

 species of decoys, or shot by hundreds, espe- 

 cially in Lincolnshire. About March it pairs, 

 the wild bird being strictly monogamous. The 

 duck usually lays from seven to ten eggs, 

 making her nest of flags or sedges somewhere 

 near the water. She sits for twenty-eight days, 

 and the same period is common to all her 

 various descendants except some of the smaller 

 varieties, which, like Bantams among fowls, 

 often hatch in somewhat less. She sits with 

 great steadiness, and on leaving the nest 

 always covers her eggs carefully over with 

 leaves and grass. As soon as the duck begins 

 to sit, the drake leaves her, and joining the 

 others, begins the curious moult described. 

 Later on, when the young are partly grown, 

 the male rejoins his family, and several unite 

 to form one flock. They then remain together 

 till the autumn, when the whole colony fly in 

 consort to their warmer winter quarters. Dur- 

 ing this migration they generally fly in long 

 lines in the shape of the letter V, a mode of 

 flying which is more or less common to all the 

 waterfowl. 



Wild ducks have often been domesticated, 

 eggs being taken and hatched under tame 

 ducks or hens, when they are brought up 

 with no difiiculty, though of course there is 

 some wildness of disposition. It is found that, 

 down to about the third and sometimes the 

 fourth generation, domesticated wild drakes 

 pair strictly like their ancestors, instead of 

 taking a small harem like the domestic varieties. 

 When thus domesticated, however, the progeny 

 after a while almost always begins to vary in 

 colour, showing in this way the origin of our 

 domestic races. 



In treating these, it will be most convenient 

 to devote a few lines first to general habits 

 and management ; then to describe the prin- 

 cipal breeds which are exhibited and used for 



