40



Stray Notes



to observe a man approach. The man’s cap was placed over the bird’s

head, and so it was made a prisoner. Mr. St. Quintin was just in time

to save it from the tender mercies of the taxidermist.


Mandarin and Carolina Hybrids. — I do not believe that a hybrid

between the Mandarin and Carolina Ducks has ever been reared,

although one has known of the two species pairing. Mr. Wormald

writes me that he has a Mandarin Drake voluntarily mated to a Carolina

Duck, but he fears that the eggs will be infertile. He has had eggs from

such a mating before, he says, but they have always been infertile.

I have seen many hybrids of which one parent was a Carolina, and it

seems strange that this duck should not produce hybrids with the

Mandarin, with which it is supposed to be so closely allied. Certainly

the females are much alike in outward appearance, though whether

the two species are really closely related seems doubtful.


Ornamental Waterfowl. — Mr. Wormald is looking forward to

a successful season with his Ornamental Waterfowl, of which be has

over seventy pairs of the best kinds. There are few forms of aviculture

more fascinating than the keeping and breeding of the smaller ducks,

providing one possesses the necessary facilities. The eggs are generally

collected and hatched under small hens, of which the best kind for the

purpose is a cross between the Silkie and some normally-feathered

type of Bantam such as the Japanese. The rearing of the ducklings

of some of the small Teal requires considerable skill, but if left to the

parent duck the chances are that she will lose most of her ducklings

from the attention of hawks, stoats, weasels, or persecution by other

ducks.


Binged Teal. — The small and very beautiful Ringed Teal (Nettion

torquata) is one of the rarest and most highly prized of the South

American ducks. There are but few pairs in the country. Mr. Astley

had a lovely pair when I visited Brinsop Court last spring, but I believe

they have not bred. I believe they have been bred at Lilford, and

Mr. Wormald has recently secured some from abroad. He writes :

“ So far I have never had any luck with Ringed Teal. In 1914 I had

a pair which laid one egg only, from which a duckling hatched but died

in a week. Last year I had a pair which laid one egg only in a Carolina’s

nest. This also hatched but died young, and then a stoat killed the



