636 



THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



Call Ducks. There are two varieties of the Call Duck, the Gray and the &quot;White 

 that bear the same relation to the large breeds that the Bantams do to the other barn-yard 

 fowls, they being much smaller in size than the average domestic duck, and very active; and 

 for this reason are sometimes called &quot; Bantam Ducks.&quot; They are bred as small as possible 

 by all who strive to win prizes with them at the shows. The Gray variety are very similar 

 in plumage to the Rouen breed, so much so that they look like miniature Rouen ducks, 

 while the White are pure white. They are exceedingly ornamental upon private ponds or 

 lakes, and make very pretty pets. They are also very active little creatures, especially dur 

 ing the breeding season, and are gaining in popularity among cultivators of this class of 

 birds. They have a loud and oft-repeated call; hence their name. 



GRAY CALL DUCKS. 



They are much used as decoys in wild duck shooting, and for this purpose are made up 

 of a cross between the common small duck and the wild Mallard, the result being a compound 

 of the tameness of the domestic variety, with the power of flight of the wild bird. The 

 decoy bird is trained to fly from the hunter s feet to meet an approaching flock of wild ducks, 

 and at its master s call return to him, leading the flock within reach of its master s shot. 

 These little creatures possess great intelligence and can be easily trained for this purpose. 



Black East India Ducks. This variety has been known under various names, such 

 as East India, Labrador, Buenos Ayrean, and Brazilian ducks, etc. They are closely related 

 to the Mallards, and small in size, with plumage of lustrous greenish-black throughout. 

 They are very beautiful birds and exceedingly hardy, but cannot be regarded as profitable 

 for practical purposes, as the larger breeds. 



