THE MANDARIN DUCK. 



MORE magnificently clothed 

 bird," says Wood, "than the 

 male Chinese Mandarin 

 Duck, can hardly be 

 found, when in health and full nuptial 

 plumage. They are natives of China 

 and Japan, and are held in such high 

 esteem by the Chinese that they can 

 hardly be obtained at any price, the 

 natives having a singular dislike to 

 seeing the birds pass into the possession 

 of Europeans." 



Though web-footed, the birds have 

 the power of perching and it is a 

 curious sight to watch them on the 

 branches of trees overhanging the 

 pond in which they live, the male and 

 female being always close together, 

 the one gorgeous in purple, green, 

 white, and chestnut, and the other 

 soberly apparelled in brown and grey. 

 This handsome plumage the male 

 loses during four months of the year, 

 from May to August, when he 

 throws off his fine crest, his wing-fans, 

 and all his brilliant colors, assuming 

 the sober tinted dress of his mate. 

 The Summer Duck of America bears 

 a close resemblance to the Mandarin 

 Duck, both in plumage and man- 

 ners, and at certain times of the year 

 is hardly to be distinguished from 

 that bird. 



The foreign duck has been success- 

 fully reared in Zoological Gardens, 

 some being hatched under the parent 

 bird and others under a domestic hen, 

 the latter hatching the eggs three days 

 in advance of the former. 



"The Chinese," says Dr. Bennett, 

 "highly esteem the Mardarin Duck, 

 which exhibits, as they think, a most 

 striking example of conjugal attach- 

 ment and fidelity. A pair of them are 

 frequently placed in a gaily decorated 

 cage and carried in their marriage 

 processions, to be presented to the 



bride and groom as worthy objects 

 of emulation." 



"I could more easily," wrote a friend 

 of Dr. Bennett's in China to whom he 

 had expressed his desire for a pair of 

 these birds, "send you two live Man- 

 darins than a pair of Mandarin 

 Ducks." 



Concerning their attachment and 

 fidelity to one another, Dr. Bennett 

 recites the following : 



"Mr. Beale's aviary at Maceo one 

 day was broken open and the male 

 bird stolen from the side of its mate. 

 She refused to be comforted, and, retir- 

 ing to the farthest part of the aviary, 

 sat disconsolate, rarely partaking of 

 food, and giving no attention to her 

 soiled and rumpled plumage. In vain 

 did another handsome drake endeavor 

 to console her for her loss. After some 

 time the stolen bird was found in the 

 quarters of a miserable Chinaman, and 

 at once restored to its mate. As soon 

 as he recognized his abode he began to 

 flap his wings and quack vehemently. 

 She heard his voice and almost 

 quacked to screaming with ecstacy, 

 both expressing their joy by crossing 

 necks and quacking in concert. The 

 next morning he fell upon the unfor- 

 tunate drake who had made consola- 

 tory advances to his mate, pecked out 

 his eyes and so injured him that the 

 poor fellow died in the course of a few 

 days." 



According to Schrenck, this species 

 appears in the countries watered by 

 the Amoor about May, and departs 

 again at the end of August; at this 

 season it is always met with in small 

 or large flocks, which are so extremely 

 shy that they rarely come within gun- 

 shot Whilst on the wing these par- 

 ties crowd closely together in front, the 

 birds in the rear occupying a compara- 

 tively free space. 



