234 TUHKEYS, ORNAMENTAL POULTRY, AND WATER-FOWL. 



brown any approach to white in them is a fatal disqualifica- 

 tion, not to be compensated by any other beauty or merit. 

 Legs a rich orange. Nothing can exceed the beauty of a drake 

 possessing the above colours in perfection. 



"The bill of the duck should not be so long as in the 

 drake, and orange-brown as a ground colour, shading off at the 

 edges to yellow, and on the top a distinct splash or mark of a 

 dark colour approaching black, two-thirds down from the top ; 

 it should there be rounded off, and on no account reach the 

 sides. I may also remark that any approach to slate-colour 

 in the bills of either sex would be a fatal blemish. The head 

 of the duck is dark brown, with two distinct light brown lines 

 running along each side of the face, and shading away to the 

 upper part of the neck. Breast a pale brown, delicately 

 pencilled with dark brown ; the back is exquisitely pencilled 

 with black upon a moderately dark brown ground. The 

 shoulder of the wing is also beautifully pencilled with black 

 and grey ; flight-feathers dark grey, any approach to white 

 being instant disqualification ; and ribbon-mark as in the drake. 

 Belly, up to the tail, light brown, with every feather delicately 

 pencilled to the tip. Legs orange, often, however, with a 

 brown tinge. The duck sometimes shows an approach to a 

 white ring round the neck, as in the drake ; such, a good judge 

 would instantly disqualify." 



To the foregoing we need add nothing. We will only 

 remark that when intended for fattening, ducks should have 

 only a trough of water instead of their usual pond, and should 

 then be fed on barley meal. Celery will add a delicious 

 flavour. In ordinary rearing the ducklings should be left with 

 the hen, or mother-duck, and kept from the water entirely for 

 a week or ten days ; then only allowed to swim for half an 

 hour at a time, till the feathers begin to grow, else they will 

 be liable to die of cramp. They will soon be totally indepen- 

 dent of their mother, and may then be left entirely to them- 



