STUDIES ON HYBRID DUCKS 



H. D. GOODALE 



NINE FIGURES 

 TWO PLATES 



As no studies from a Mendelian standpoint seem to have been 

 made on ducks, the following experiments were undertaken. 

 The results thus far obtained are sufficiently interesting and 

 suggestive to make a first report on the work in progress desir- 

 able. The record shows that too few individuals in the Fi gen- 

 eration have been reared to make much theoretical discussion 

 profitable. 



My thanks are due Mr. B. B. Horton for permitting me to 

 carry on this work at ''Oakwood." 



DESCRIPTION OF BREEDS 



The two breeds used, which were crossed reciprocally, were 

 the Pekins and Rouens. It is well known that both varieties 

 breed true. Some 200 of the former and 40 of the latter have 

 been reared, and without exception have been true to type. 



The Pekins (fig. 1 ) are white with yellow bills. The shanks 

 and feet are orange. The ducklings are yellow throughout. 



The Rouens are practically domesticated Mallards. The male 

 (fig. 2) is brilliantly colored. His head and the upper half of 

 the neck is deep lustrous green, bounded on its lower edge with 

 a narrow white ring, often incomplete dorsally. The ventral 

 side of the lower half of the neck, together with the breast (^. e., 

 anterior to keel) is a deep claret (maroon). The remainder of 

 the ventral surface is iron gray, becoming black posterior to the 

 anus. The entire dorsal surface, posterior to the neck ring, is 

 dark, being dull brownish anteriorly, becoming black in the 



241 



THE JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY, VOL. 10, NO. 3 



APRIL, 1911 



