84 THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



geems to think differently as regards the origin of this variety. He says : 

 " I have been a breeder of this duck many years, and take much interest in 

 their history, but could never discover that Rouen was especially famous for 

 this breed of birds. On the contrary, from inquiries made of poultry fanciers 

 and others who have visited that locality, I have found that these birds were 

 not reared there as a domestic fowl, nor did they abound in a wild state in 

 that district. As to the application of the term, it is most probable that it is 

 a corruption of the word roan, or ' gray duck,' and the animal is not without 

 some claim to the cognomen. As to the origin of the breed, there can be 

 little doubt that it has been bred from the Mallard, enlarged and improved 

 by care and good feeding, and corresponds precisely with it in every respect 

 in the details and markings of the plumage. The markings found also in the 

 wild species are considered as the criteria of perfection by poultry fanciers 

 and judges, at the present day, which proves much more than any facts I 

 might advance." This breed of ducks is highly esteemed by breeders for 

 their large size and deliciousness of flesh. They are prolific layers, their eggs 

 being very large, and much valued in England, it is said, for culinary pur- 

 poses. It may be imagined, from their large size, that they must consume 

 much more food than our smaller variety of ducks ; on the contrary, they are 

 remarkable easy keepers, and require less food than the common duck. They 

 commence laying when quite young, are perfectly hardy and not disposed to 

 roam from the immediate vicinity of their yards. There is but little differ- 

 ence in size between the duck and the drake, and in many instances the 

 former will outweigh the latter. They are not good mothers, and their eggs 

 should be placed under a hen to insure success in raising the young. The 

 color of the Rouen drake is as follows : Bill inclined to green, the nail and 

 around the nostrils being black ; head and neck, as far as the white collar, 

 which should be very distinct, iridescent green; throat and breast claret- 

 brown ; back scapulars, and thighs gray, with minute wavy dark lines at 

 right angles to the shaft of the feather ; tail brown, with the outer edge of 

 the feathers white, forming a broad margin of that color, the three center 

 feathers being curled ; primaries brown ; secondaries the same, with a bar of 

 bright steel-blue forming the speculum, the band of black, the extremities 

 being tipped with white ; lesser wing-coverts rich brown ; greater wing-cov- 

 erts the same, with a narrow white margin ; under part of the body gray, 

 with the same wavy dotted lines as on the back; legs and feet orange. The 

 plumage of the duck is of a rich brown color, every feather being marked 

 more or less with black ; bill, legs and feet dusky ; irides in both sexes are 

 v of a light-brown color. The body of the ducklings, when first hatched, is of 

 a yellowish-brown color, and remains so until they are in perfect feather. 



THE CAYUGA BLACK. 



This is a variety of our duck tribe well worthy of cultivation, and the 

 best of the dark ducks. It originated on Cayuga Lake, one of our most 

 beautiful little inland American lakes. These birds are perfectly hardy, good 



