1856. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



283 



For the New England Farmer. 



ON CERTAIN BIRDS THAT MIGHT BE 

 DOMESTICATED. 



Mk. Editor : — It was the opinion of Audubon, 

 the great American ornithologist, who does not 

 seem to have been actuated by visionary notions, 

 that several species of our indigenous birds are sus- 

 ceptible of domestication, and might prove useful 

 additions to our present domesticated stocks. I 

 have taken some pains to collect his remarks on 

 this subject, and to transcribe them, along with his 

 description of the species which he recommends 

 for such training, 



I. The Canada Goose — Anser Canadensis. — This 

 bird is already domesticated, and is too well known 

 to require a description. Audubon says, "In the 

 nests of those which I have had in a domesticated 

 state, I have sometimes counted as many as eleven 

 eggs, several of these, however, usually proving 

 unproductive. The eggs measure, on an average, 

 3^ inches by 2^, are thick-shelled, rather smooth, 

 and of a dull yellowish-green color. The period of 

 incubation is 28 days. They never have more than 

 one brood in a season, imless the eggs are broken 

 or removed at an early period. 



"The crossing of the Canada goose with the do- 

 mestic species has proved as advantageous as that 

 of the M'ild with the common tame turkey ; the 

 cross-breed being much larger than the original 

 one, more easily raised and more speedily fattened. 

 This process is at ])resent carried on to a considera- 

 ble extent in our Western and Eastern States, where 

 the hybrids are regularly offered for sale during au- 

 tumn and winter, and bring a higher price than 

 either of the species from which they are derived." 



II. Wood-Duck — Anas Sponsa. — This beautiful 

 species ranges over the whole extent of the United 

 States. It also occurs sparingly, during the breed- 

 ing season, in Nova Scotia, but further north Au- 

 dubon has not seen it. Every where in this immense 

 tract he found it a constant resident, some spend- 

 ing the winter even in Massachusetts. It confines 

 itself entirely to fresh water, preferring at all times 

 the secluded retreats of ponds and creeks that oc- 

 cur so frequently in our woods. 



"The flesh of this bird is excellent ; its feathers 

 are as good as those of any other species, and I 

 feel well assured that with a few years of care, the 

 wood-duck might be perfectly domesticated, when 

 it could not fail to be as valuable as it is beautiful." 



I have been informed that Mr. Webster once had 

 several of these beautiful birds in a domesticated 

 state on his farm in Marshfield. 



III. Eider Duck — Fuligula Molissima. — "The 

 Fuligula (says Audubon) are distinguished from all 

 other ducks, that feed in fresh or salt water, by the 

 comparative shortness of the neck, the greater ex- 

 pansion of their feet, the more depressed form of 

 their body, and their power of diAang to a consider- 

 able depth, in order to reach the beds on which 

 their favorite shelly food abounds. Their flight 

 differs from that of the tame ducks, being performed 

 nearer the surface of the water. They differ, more- 

 over, in their propensity to breed in communities, 

 and often at a very small distance from each other, 

 and they are more ready to abandon their females 

 the moment incubation has commenced. 



"The Eider is seldom seen further south, along 

 our coast, than the city of New York. It breeds 

 in many places on the coast, from Boston to Lab- 

 rador where they are very abundant. 



"It is by no means difficult to rear the young 

 ones, provided proper care be taken of them ; and 

 they soon become quite gentle and attached to the 

 place set apart for them. A fisherman of Eastport 

 who carried eight or ten of them from Labrador, 

 kept them several years in a yard close to the wa- 

 ter of the bay, to which, after they were grown, they 

 daily betook themselves, along with some common 

 ducks, regularly returning on shore towards eve- 

 ning." He adds, "I have no doubt that if this val- 

 uable bird were domesticated, it would prove a 

 great acquisition, both on account of its feathers 

 and down, and its flesh as an article of food. I am 

 persuaded that very little attention would be nec- 

 essary to effect this object. When m captivity, it 

 feeds on different kinds of grain and moistened 

 corn meal ; and its flesh becomes excellent." 



IV. Dusky Duck — Black Duck — Anas Obscura. 

 — This species which has already been domestica- 

 ted in several places, and was quite common twenty 

 years since in our farm-yards, in the vicinity of Bos- 

 ton, extends its migrations from the coast of Lab- 

 rador to Texas, and breeds in both these countries. 

 The young grow with remarkable rapidity, and like 

 those of the MuUon, of which they seem to be only 

 a variety, acquire the full beauty of their spring 

 plumage, before the season of reproduction com- 

 mences. 



"The young of this species (says Audubon,) in 

 the early part of autumn, afford delicious eating, in 

 my opinion, very much superior, in this respect, to 

 the more celebrated canvas-back duck. That this 

 species should not before now have been brought 

 into a state of perfect domestication, only indicates 

 our reluctance to augment the comforts which have 

 been so bountifully accorded by nature to the in- 

 habitants of this happy country." 



V. Blue-ioinged Teal — Anas Discors. — "The 

 Blue-winged Teal is easily kept in captivity, and 

 soon becomes very docile. In this State it feeds 

 freely on coarse corn meal, and I have no doubt it 

 could readily be domesticated, in which case, so 

 snowy and tender is its flesh, that it would quickly 

 put the merits of the widely celebrated canvas-back 

 duck into the shade." 



VI. Gadwell Duck — Anas Strepera. — ^This spe- 

 cies is found along the whole of our Atlantic coast, 

 from Maine to Texas. From the following note of 

 Dr. Bachman, addressed to Audubon, we may judge 

 how easily this fine species might be domesticated. 

 Says Dr. B., "In the year 1812, 1 saw in Dutchess 

 County, in the State of New York, at the house of 

 a miller, a fine flock of ducks, to the number of at 

 least thirty, wliich, from their peculiar appearance, 

 struck me as different from any I had before seen 

 among the different varieties of the tame duck. On 

 inquiry I was informed, that three years before, a 

 pair of these ducks had been captured in the mill- 

 pond. They were kept in the poultry-yard, and it 

 was said, were easily tamed. One joint of the wing 

 was taken off to prevent their flying away. In the 

 following spring they were suffered to go into the 

 pond, and they returned daily to the house to be 

 fed. They built their nest on the edge of the pond 

 and reared a large brood. The young were perfect- 

 ly reconciled to domestication, and made no attempts 

 even at the migratory season to fly away, although 

 their wings were perfect. In the following season 

 they reared large broods. The family of the mil- 

 ler used them occasionally as food, and considered 

 them equal in flavor to the common duck and mor ; 



