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Mr. Herbert K. Job,



What in the world does he want to raise ruddies for?”

said he to the assistant. “ They’re no good, even if he raised them.

Why, if you go and pluck one, you pull off the meat with the

feathers.”


Though I hope to pursue the problem further, as an interest¬

ing matter of science, it is probable that various marine species, such

as Scoters, Mergansers, Eiders, the Old Squaw, and the Buddy

Duck, will prove unadaptable to domestication, and would be of no

practical or commercial value.*


The other ten species, however, that we investigated, are

readily raised. These are,—to repeat from the other article ( The

Outing Magazine, November),—Pintail, Shoveller, Mallard, Gadwell,

Baldpate, Blue-winged and Green-winged Teals, Bedhead, Canvas-

back, Lesser Scaup. The young Canvasbacks and Bedheads, con¬

trary to what might be expected, are docile creatures and do

splendidly. The only duckling that showed any trace of natural

wildness was the Scaup — the blue-bill or broad-bill of our Atlantic

coast gunners. Not that they are afraid, but they are nervous and

restless, always running around and jumping, trying to get out.

They seem rather harder to raise than the others, and w T e lost more

in proportion. Nevertheless, we have a nice little bunch of them

grown to maturity.


In addition to the above species which are evidently capable

of domestication, the Dusky or Black Duck and the Wood Duck are

known to come in this category. The chances are also, I believe, in

favour of the American and Barrows’ Golden-eyes and the little

Bufflehead. The Greater Scaup would doubtless be like the Lesser.

Then there is the Cinnamon Teal, found farther west. So here are

at least seventeen splendid native American Wild Ducks, all probably

capable of artificial increase, as some are already known to be.

These are problems well worthy the attention of lovers of

Wildfowl.


I had imagined that most of the wild ducklings would be

practically indistinguishable. As a matter of fact, however, many

of them are absolutely unlike, and all can readily be told apart, even



Perhaps Mr. St. Quintin will write something on this subject ?—ED.



