Summer Duck. 209 



ivith a soft and mellow pee, pee, pee-e, which is uttered quite 

 rapidly, and at repeated intervals. The call of the mother, 

 when addressing the young at such times, is rather low and 

 soft, and resembles that of the young, being only a little more 

 prolonged. 



These beautiful birds have often been domesticated. They 

 become at such times so unsuspicious and familiar as to 

 allow themselves to be stroked by the hand. No handsomer 

 bird could be chosen for introduction into our yards. The 

 male, some nineteen inches in length, and with a scope of 

 wing of two and one-third feet, is a being of no mean pro- 

 portions. But it is the richness and variety of his colors 

 that render him an object of admiration. A conspicuous 

 green and purple crest adorns his head, while the sides, which 

 are iridescent purple, are relieved of their monotony by a 

 streak of white from base of bill to occiput, and by another, 

 back of the eye, of a pure white color, which is continuous 

 with that of the throat. The sides and front of the lower 

 neck and the forepart of the breast are a bright chestnut, with 

 five white spots, while the lower parts are generally white. 

 Beautifully iridescent metallic hues set off the upper surfaces 

 of the wings, which show most effectively in the blaze of the 

 noonday sun. To the female nature has not been, it would 

 seem to the casual observer, quite so propitious. Her grayish 

 head, with lengthened hind-feathers, white throat, brownish- 

 yellow fore-neck, upper breast and sides, striped with grayish 

 and generally dark- brown upper parts, glossed chiefly with 

 purple, contrast most markedly with the rich, gorgeous attire 

 of her other half. While less showy in dress and lacking 

 the dignity of demeanor that characterizes her lord, she is 

 none the less fitted to perform her part in the drama of life. 

 Her dress, sober in color, and with just enough of ornament 

 to relieve the oppressiveness of its sameness, is so accord- 

 ant with her home-surroundings as to afford her the pro- 

 tection and security she requires in the trying and perilous 

 duties of brood-raising. 



