JIIaxdar/.v Ducats. 549 



In size the Mandarin is very small, though no precise limit of weight can be given* 

 The shape is tight and neat-looking, but the plumage of the drake almost defies description, 

 nothing in the poultry-world being so bright and gorgeous. The head has a large long crest, 

 pointing backwards, and which can be raised or lowered at will ; the colour of this crest being 

 green and purple on the top, shading into chestnut and green in the long feathers which extend 

 backwards. A broad stripe of rich cream-oolour extends from the front of the sides of the head, 

 across the eye, to the back of the neck. The neck is furnished with a collar or ruff of rich 

 brownish red feathers, somewhat resembling hackles, and the front of the neck and sides of the 

 breast are a rich claret or purple. Across the shoulders are two beautiful stripes of clear white, 

 each shaded with black, behind which the sides of the bird are of a greenish or ashy yellow- 

 grey, beautifully and most delicately pencilled in very fine lines with dark grey or black. The 

 wings are furnished each with a peculiar shield or fan, standing nearly erect, and which are 

 of a bright chestnut colour, beautifully edged with green or blue. The feathers of the back 

 are a brilliant light brown, and the under parts white or nearly so. The quills or secondaries 

 are brownish-grey, edged on the lower web with white. The bill is crimson, the legs a lightish 

 pink, and the eyes a bright black.f The garb of the duck is much plainer, being a mottling all 

 over of greenish brown, with greyish under parts. About May the drake loses his conspicuous 

 feathers, and even his wing-fans and crest, and becomes coloured very much like the female ; in 

 August he begins to resume his fine clothing, and by September is again in full plumage. 



In China, domestic specimens of these ducks are called Li-clii-ki, and are very highly prized, 

 being considered to exhibit striking examples of conjugal affection and fidelity ; whence it is 

 common to carry a pair in a gilded cage in marriage processions, and afterwards present them to 

 the newly-married pair, as worthy objects of their imitation. So highly are they valued, that 

 when Dr. Bennett wrote to a friend in China to buy him a pair, he was informed by this 

 friend that he could send him two live mandarins to Australia with far greater ease than the 

 Mandarin Ducks. The same authority gives the following as an instance of the conjugal 

 fidelity, for which, as well as for their great beauty, these ducks are so prized by the Chinese : — 

 " One day Mr. Beales' aviary at Macao was broken open, and the male bird stolen ; his poor 

 mate remained in a retired part of the aviary, and refused to be comforted. She would 

 scarcely take any food, and allowed her plumage to become dirty ; in vain did another drake 

 endeavour to console her for her loss ; she rejected all his advances, and remained disconsolate. 

 After some time the lost bird was discovered in the hut of a Chinese of the lower class, and 

 was brought back again. As soon as he recognised his old abode, he expressed his joy by 

 flapping his wings and quackiiig vehemently, and no sooner did his mate recognise his voice, 

 that she almost quacked to screaming with ecstasy, and flew to meet him, and both expressed 

 their joy by crossing necks and quacking together. Next morning the returned spouse fell 

 upon the unfortunate drake who had made advances to his mate in his absence, pecked his 

 eyes out, and otherwise so disfigured him as to occasion his death in the course of a few days." 



The exact date of the first introduction of these beautiful ducks into Europe is uncertain. 

 In 1850 Sir John Bowring obtained with the greatest diiificulty a few pairs to send to England, and 

 it is certain that before this two pairs had been obtained by an enthusiastic fancier at Rotterdam. 

 It is also pretty certain that nearly all the domesticated specimens in Europe have been bred from 

 these two importations ; but we know that of late Messrs. John Baily and Son ha/e imported 



* See Mr. Hewitt's remarks on this point under the head of Carolina Ducks. 



t The eye has been described by various naturalists as " orange-red," but we speak from examination of many specimens. 



