25 



I may remark that I know of no group of birds, in which, 

 fertile h3'brids are so often produced as in the duck order. 



It will be seen that within the limits of the duck 

 family, there is every link between the slightly reclaimed 

 eider, which resorts to the breeding grounds in which it is 

 protected, and in which nesting places are provided for its 

 use, and the purely domestic duck, which differs from the 

 wild species only in having stronger legs, weaker wings, 

 more varied coloration and structure. 



Before dismissing the duck tribe it may be well to draw 

 attention to the Chinese goose which has a knob at the base 

 of the bill, whether this is distinct, or has been obtained 

 from a different wild species is an open question, at any rate 

 it differs from any known wild species, and must have been 

 domestic from a very remote period, this is also true of the 

 common goose which is mentioned by Homer, and was 

 anciently sacred to Juno. 



The Duck order consists of 40 genera, and at least 

 180 species of these, but species belonging to four different 

 genera are truly domestic, although many others, as the 

 Mandarin and Summer Ducks, breed freely in captivity under 

 favourable conditions. 



The Galline birds are divided into 7 families, 76 genera, 

 and nearly 400 species. Only one family, the Phasianidoe, 

 containing 18 genera and about 80 species, has furnished the 

 domestic birds, and each of these birds belong not only to 

 different genera, but to different sub-families, the reason no 

 doubt is that these four birds are attached to locality, whilst 

 all the others are given to wandering, or are infertile under 

 the conditions of domesticity. 



The Pheasants stand somewhat in the same position in 

 this family as the Eiders do among the ducks; there are now 

 several distinct species in our preserves which seem to 

 hybridize freely, the offspring being perfectly prolific, they 

 are kept, by feeding, somewhat within the limits of the 

 woods they are reared in, although, out of respect to the 

 feelings of sportsmen, I can scarcely call them tame, they 



