THE TAME DUCK. 467 



identical with the commonest Ducks which we have every- 

 where. The "Rouen," likewise " Rhone" Duck, is also 

 written " Rohan." I believe neither term to be correct, in 

 point of fact : that is, not exclusively : i. e. Rouen Ducks are 

 to be found wherever there are Tame Ducks. The words are 

 similar in sound, but the two first are taken from localities, 

 the last from the name of a distinguished family, one member 

 of which, the Cardinal de Rohan, was strangely implicated in 

 the diamond-necklace affair that caused such distress to Marie 

 Antoinette. But we might just as well call them " London" 

 or "Thames" Ducks, or "Mr. Smith's" Ducks. It would 

 puzzle most people to point out in what they differ from the 

 e very-day brown, or brown and white, farm-yard Duck. We 

 should be told they were^/wer, a better sort, &c. An inquiry 

 of some of, not all* the Dealers, for the authority on which the 

 name was given, would probably be met by silence, or by anger 

 at the public being told that birds, for which tliey charge six, 

 eight, or ten shillings, may be had of any country higgler for 

 Is. 6d. I am even uncharitable enough to suspect that in- 

 correct names are purposely given to unusual varieties, by a 

 few poultry-merchants, in order to conceal the source from 

 whence they were originally derived. My notion that the title 

 Rouen and its aliases is only a trade name, intended to elevate 

 the common sort into a choice and more marketable variety, 

 is confirmed by the omission of such a designation by Aldro- 

 vandi, and later by Buffon; both writers who swept every 

 thing into their net. Penguin Ducks are nearly as strange as 



* I beg to acknowledge the gentlemanly and ready manner in 

 which Mr. John Baily, of Mount Street, Grosvenor Square, has ex- 

 pressed his willingness to impart information on a subject on which 

 he is so well conversant. He is able and trustworthy to execute 

 orders for choice specimens of Poultry, and I should certainly apply 

 to him, did I want any select Fowls to be procured. 



