80 COMMON MUSK-DUCK. 



colour of the rest of the plumage deep brown, darkest 

 and glossed with green on the back, rump, quills, 

 and tail, the two outer feathers of the latter and the 

 three first primaries being white : the legs and feet 

 are short, thick, and red. In the female this naked 

 carunculated skin is of a paler red, and does not 

 cover so large a portion of the head as in the male : 

 she is also somewhat smaller. 



The trachea of this bird, according to Dr. Latham, 

 is stout, nearly equal in diameter, but a trifle smaller 

 towards the bottom j the bony arch finishes the bottom 

 part, and appears as if furnished with rings, but they 

 are not moveable : the orbicular labyrinth is attached 

 to the side of it ; its surface is universally rough and 

 irregularly furrowed with fine indented lines ; the 

 opposite side runs into a pear shape, and is placed 

 obliquely, with the point lowest, but is flattened con- 

 siderably on the surface : the bony arch is on this 

 side smooth, having no appearance of rings, and is 

 bent at a small angle from the trachea, although it 

 constitutes a continuance of it. 



Musk-ducks are supposed to have been originally 

 natives of South America, where they are still found 

 wild : they are now tolerably common in a domestic 

 state in most European countries. According to 

 Buffon they nestle on the trunks of old trees, and 

 when the young are hatched, the mother takes them 

 one after another by the beak and throws them into 

 the water. Their eggs are larger and rounder than 

 those of the Duck, and are frequently tinged with 

 green : these birds are more prolific and sit oftener 

 than other Ducks, and their flesh, which is high 



