306 



Nature-Study Agriculture 



jGeese 



FIG. 247. A flock of Toulouse geese 



ducks, and they were brought from South America. 

 (The reference in the name is to musk and not to a part 

 of Russia.) They are the largest of all ducks, the adult 

 drake weighing ten pounds ; and they are very quick 

 to mature. Muscovies are not so noisy as ordinary 

 ducks. They are sometimes spoken of as " quackless " 

 ducks, for their call resembles a peep rather than a quack. 

 Five weeks are required to hatch the eggs of the Mus- 

 covy, the eggs of other ducks requiring but four weeks 

 (Fig. 246). 



The breeds of geese that are most popular in this 

 country are the Emden and the Toulouse. The Emdens 

 are the white geese that we ordinarily see. They were 

 originally brought from Germany. The Toulouse geese 

 are the common gray variety. They originated in south- 

 ern France, but they were first brought to this country 

 from England. No geese are very profitable as egg 



