272 THE PRACTICAL POULTRY KEEPER. 



and they must not be allowed to grub about in filthy water. 

 On old birds, however, a coarse horny substance often forms, 

 upon the bills of ducks which have their liberty especially, 

 and for exhibition this is carefully pared away, taking care 

 not to touch the inner skin or make it bleed. After this the 

 bill is carefully smoothed with fine sand-paper, and the duck 

 kept in semi-darkness for two or three weeks, feeding chiefly 

 on wheat put in gravel and water. 



An Aylesbury duck lays on an average about 60 eggs 

 in a year ; but individuals have laid double that number, 

 and doubtless eggs could be bred for as in fowls. The eggs 

 may be either white or green, and the same duck may lay 

 both. 



ROUEN DUCKS. The best general description of the 

 Rouens in plumage is to be precisely like the wild mallard, 

 but larger. The drake should have a commanding appear- 

 ance with a rich green and purple head, and a fine long bill, 

 formed and set on the head as described for the Aylesburys. 

 The bill should look clean, of a yellow ground, with a very 

 pale wash of green over it, and the " bean " at the end of 

 it jet black. His neck should have a sharp, cleanly-marked 

 white ring round it, not quite meeting at the back. Breast 

 a deep rich claret-brown to well below the water-line, then 

 passing into the under body-colour, which is a beautiful 

 French grey, shading into white near the tail. The back 

 ought to be a rich greenish-black quite up to the tail 

 feathers, the curls in which are a rich dark green. Wings a 

 greyish-brown, with distinct purple and white ribbon-mark 

 well developed. The flight-feathers must be grey and 

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

 fication, not to be compensated by any other beauty or 

 merit. T.egs a rich orange. Nothing can exceed the 

 beauty of a drake possessing the above colours in perfection. 



