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CHAPTER XXXII. 



THE TAME DUCK.. 



MY friend, Mr. I). Taggart, of Northumberland, writes con- 

 cerning the Common Duck and its varieties, as follows: 



" You wish to be posted up in aquatic birds : I know some- 

 what of these, but probably not so much as yourself. In re- 

 gard to Ducks, they are much more prolific than they usually 

 have credit for, and even for Eggs, can be made a profitable 

 bird, if well fed and properly managed. Any Common Duck, 

 so treated, if not old, will yield, in a season, one hundred or 

 more, large, rich, and delicious Eggs. When they lay, it is 

 daily or nightly, and if kept from sitting, which is easily done 

 by changing tj^eir nests frequently, they will lay, with little 

 interruption, from February or March until August. But the 

 trouble is, a Duck lays only when Eggs are most abundant, 

 while Hens' Eggs may be procured at all seasons. 



" The young of Ducks seldom die of disease, and if cats and 

 rats are exterminated, as in all cases they should be, there will be 

 no trouble in raising almost as many Ducks as you have Eggs. 

 One year, from 94 Eggs, I had 91 hatched, and raised 87. 

 Twenty-four of these were Musk, or Muscovy Ducks as they 

 are erroneously termed. In speaking of the prolificness of 

 Ducks, I do not think this variety should be included. They 

 lay comparatively few Eggs. Ducks come early to maturity, 



