540 The Illustrated Booic of Poultry. 



shown in the Plate (and the same description will also apply to the Aylesburys), coming straight 

 down from the skull like that of the woodcock, and being both long and broad. The head 

 is rich green, glossed with purple, which extends down the neck, round which is a collar, ring, 

 or necklace of pure white ; this must not quite encircle the neck, not quite meeting at the back, 

 but must be clear and distinct so far as it goes. The breast is a rich deep claret-brown, 

 extending down well below the water-line, and as free as possible from rings, or what is called 

 by breeders ' chain armour.' There it passes into the delicate French grey of the under parts, 

 which should extend to under the tail, any pure white under the tail being a great objection. 

 The back is a rich greenish black, the curls in the tail being a dark green. The wings are a greyish 

 brown, with a ' ribbon-mark ' across them, which must be a very bright -and distinct blue, edged on 

 both sides with white. The flights are grey and brown, white in a flight-feather being highly 

 objectionable. The legs are a rich orange. The whole appearance of the drake should be noble 

 and commanding, and nothing can exceed the beauty of a moderately perfect bird. 



" The bill of the duck is not quite so long as in the drake, and is of an orange-colour, 

 with a splash of a dark colour, nearly black, upon it, say two-thirds down from the head, but 

 not reaching the tip or sides ; this colour, however, changes during the laying season to a 

 dirty brown, and sometimes they become almost black all over. The head is brown, with 

 two distinct shaded lines on each side, running from the eye down to the darker part of the 

 neck — this is very essential to perfection. The breast is brown, pencilled over with dark brown ; 

 the back pencilled with very dark brown, almost black, upon a brown ground. This pencilling 

 must be very distinct. Judges differ somewhat as to the shade of brown which should form the 

 ground-work, some preferring a light clay-brown ; but the most ' fashionable ' tint is a dark brown, 

 almost chocolate, provided the markings are distinct. The wing has a ribbon-mark, as in the drake, 

 and the legs are like his, orange, but generally of a rather duller tinge. 



"At the Birmingham Show in 1872, the heaviest pair of birds in the Rouen class weighed 

 twenty-two pounds two ounces. These were awarded the fourth prize, on account probably of the 

 drake being rather defective in colour ; they were at that time eight months old. Mr. S. Burn, of 

 Whitby, was the exhibitor of them, and they were bought at the auction during the show by myself 

 Six and seven pounds each are good average weights, and larger weights are seldom obtained 

 except by fatting the birds to such an extent that their breeding powers are endangered ; and it is 

 very rare that birds over these weights are perfect in colour of plumage and bill. 



"The eggs of the Rouens are not so large as a rule as tjiose of the Aylesburys, and they show 

 the same diversity of colour as the eggs of the latter. It would be well here to mention that it is a 

 fallacy to suppose that the size of the eggs has much to do with the size of the parents or the 

 progeny. The most celebrated breeders can aver that the largest birds of their flocks will often 

 lay the smallest eggs. 



" In the selection of Rouen Ducks for breeding purposes — that is, for exhibition — the breeder 

 should look more to perfection of markings and shape than to mere weight, provided that the birds 

 are of average size. The most important point, as in other stock, is to see that the birds it is 

 proposed to breed from are really thoroitgli-brcd and well-bred. The drake should not be over 

 eighteen months old at the time of mating, and if he weighs seven pounds it is quite sufficient ; 

 for they should not be ' made up' to weigh well if wanted for breeding. The ducks may be older, 

 and what I prefer myself is a drake of twelve months with two-year-old ducks. 



" For breeding good dark-breasted and dark-' breeched ' drakes, I mate the darkest drake I 

 have with the darkest ducks ; and for getting ducks of good colour, I choose a dark male bird 

 with liq;ht-maiked ducks. Althoutjh it would be follv to think of exhibiting- a duck with a 'cock- 



