544 



The Illustrated Booic of Poultry. 



about the Cayugas, and he appeared to know them well. He, too, said they were so similar in 

 appearance to the English black duck that it was hard to tell the difference. He seemed to think 

 the breed had at some time been taken from England, and that the difference in flavour might 

 easily be accounted for by the change of climate, but especially by the difference of food and water- 

 plants. He particularly mentioned some duck celebrated in America for its exquisite flavour 

 (I believe, but am not sure, it was the Black East Indian),* this being attributed to its feeding on 

 the wild celery ; and I understood him to say that if they were confined for some time before being 

 killed, and had plenty of celery chopped fine in their food, they took just the same flavour. But 

 whether the Cayugas were taken from England or not, if they prove as good as the old Lancashire 

 Black Duck they will be very valuable." 



The legs of the Cayuga Duck are generally of a very dark dusky orange-colour, covered over 

 by a fine network of black lines. They should be for show as dark as may be, while the plumage 

 should be as glossy as it is possible to obtain. By a cross with some of the largest and best of the 

 Black East Indian the colour could probably be much improved, while size could soon be 

 recovered again. Of course the white feathers which so trouble breeders in both varieties must be 

 bred out as soon as possible ; and, judging by past difficulties which have been overcome in various 

 breeds of fowls, we have little doubt a few years will see much improvement in this respect. 



THE BLACK EAST INDIAN DUCK, known also by many other synonyms, as Mr. 

 Serjeantson has mentioned, is very evidently allied to the foregoing, and stands midway as it were 

 between the useful and the purely ornamental varieties. We once thought differently ; but the 

 many opportunities we have lately had of comparing both have removed all our own doubts on this 

 point. Not only "is the colour identical, allowing for the care with \\'hich a green gloss has been 

 sought by breeders of the small or " fancy" variety, but both are liable to the very same faults or 

 spots of white, and Mr. Sainsbury's remarks show that even in economic qualities the two breeds 

 are identical. Which, however, was the parent, and which the offspring, it would probably be now 

 as idle as fruitless to inquire. 



The Rev. W. Serjeantson has kindly furnished us with the following notes on this beautiful 

 breed of ducks : — 



" Black East Indian Ducks, like many of their companions in the poultry-yard, rejoice in a 

 multiplicity of names — Buenos Ayrean, Labrador, Black East Indian, and of late I have seen them 

 called by a new name. Black Brazilian ; but all these are equally inappropriate.t They are not 

 known in a wild state in any part of the world ; and I think the most reasonable supposition is, that 

 they are a variety of, or, as gardeners would say, 'a sport' from, the common Mallard (Anas 

 bosclias), as are also the recently-imported Cayuga Ducks from America. They have been kept in 

 this country for many years, and have put in an appearance regularly at poultry-shows from the 

 very first. Indeed, they used to be shown in greater numbers years ago than they are now, the 

 rage for Mandarins, Carolinas, &c., having caused them to be rather neglected of late. Still, 

 several new exhibitors of them have appeared in the lists the last year or so, and I have no doubt 

 we shall soon see them in as large numbers as ever. Their beauty is so great, and they give 

 so little trouble, requiring no pampering or extra feeding for exhibition, like the Rouens, &c., 

 that they must always have plenty of admirers. 



* We think the duck here mentioned more likely to have been the Canvass-back ; but both feed on and acquire the flavour of 

 the wild celeiy. 



t Mr. J. K. Fowler says they are found in the Punjaub ; and we believe the Zoological Gardens obtained their first specimens 

 from Buenos Ayres. Two of the names may perhaps be thus accounted for. 



