172 



AQUATIC FOWL. 



over these are tipped with white ; the tail is cuneiform, consisting 

 of sixteen brown feathers, edged with whitish ; legs dusky brown. 

 The female has the head, neck, back, and sides of the body 

 brown, the feathers, more or less, edged with whitish ; belly and 

 vent whitish ; speculum in the wing like the male. It becomes 

 very familiar in a domestic state, and breeds in confinement. It 

 is a very beautiful addition to a collection of water -fowl, and 

 thrives well with any ordinary care. 



THE BUMMER DUCK, WOOD DUCK, OB CAROLINA DUCK, 



HAS been so abundantly imported, and so frequently bred in both 

 England and Ireland, and even shot here, whether as a visitor 

 or escaped bird, is not well ascertained ; they have been shot 

 in the north of Ireland, but have escaped from the enclosure of 

 Arbuthnot Emerson, Esq. ; they have likewise been shot in the 

 neighbourhood of Dublin, but have escaped from ray enclosure. 

 They are becoming so abundant that the following description, 

 taken from Wilson, may be read with interest : 



" This most beautiful of all our ducks, has probably no superior 

 among its whole tribe, for richness and variety of colours. It is 



