442 



POULTRY CULTURE 



FIG. 470. Pekin drake. White Birch Poultry 

 Farm, Bridgewater, Massachusetts 



FIG. 471. Pekin duck. White Birch Poultry 

 Farm, Bridgewater, Massachusetts 



The Merchtem Duck. A 



white Belgian type closely 

 resembling the Aylesbury 

 is called the Merchtem 

 Duck. The Belgian bird 

 is a little smaller and has 

 blue legs and a dark bean 

 on the bill. 



The Cayuga Duck. The 

 Cayuga Duck is a large 

 black duck taking its name 

 from Cayuga County in 

 New York, where it appears 

 to have been developed as 

 a local variety about 1850, 

 though it attracted no at- 

 tention beyond that vicinity 

 until ten or fifteen years 

 later. Stories of its origin 

 attributing the black color 

 to the Black East Indian 

 Duck (also to a black duck 

 from Brazil known as the 

 Buenos Airean) may be re- 

 garded as of very doubtful 

 authenticity, except per- 

 haps as to certain stocks. 

 Black ducks are frequently 

 found in all races where the 

 colors are various. The 

 color is one which would 

 naturally occur in the varia- 

 tions of the color of the com- 

 mon wild duck in domesti- 

 cation. There is no warrant 

 for considering this variety 

 as essentially different from 

 other improved races. 



