40 
ANAS BOSCHAS 
accompanied by a derangement of the sexual life which results in polygamy and 
greatly increased capacity for laying eggs. Wild specimens when brought into con- 
finement will usually not lay the first year, but in the second year they nest freely 
and there is no difficulty whatever in rearing large numbers of young. These young, 
if raised under hens and hand-reared, become very tame, but if hatched by mothers 
and left to themselves they remain almost as wild as the parents, taking long flights 
to and from other waters as soon as their wdngs are grown. 
The various breeds of domestic ducks, all of which, excepting the Muscovy, have 
been derived from the Mallard, may be briefly enumerated. Least removed from 
the original parent are the Call Ducks, which have been bred very small and are 
spoken of as Toy Mallards. Some of these dw'arfs are only a little larger than a Teal; 
they have very short stubby bills, short rounded heads and high shrill voices. I 
have found such extreme specimens very hard to breed, as the females often prove 
sterile or become egg-bound. Call Ducks are both pure “white” and “gray,” the 
latter retaining the exact plumage of the wild Mallard, though not quite so brilliant 
or glossy. Some people suppose that Call Ducks originated in Normandy; really 
small specimens are now scarce everywhere. 
The Black East India is not much kept nowadays. It is a small black breed 
with brilliant green and purple luster. In reality it is a melanistic variety of the 
Mallard. Its flesh is pigmented, and it lays an egg with a dark -colored shell. The 
plumage of the drake is much more iridescent than that of the duck, but old speci- 
mens of either sex usually show white feathers, and perfect specimens are rare. 
The Cayuga is nothing more than a large East India Duck; the flesh is dark and 
the males weigh as high as six or seven pounds. It lays a nearly black egg. This 
breed seems to have originated in New York State, and is not common at the present 
time. 
The Rouen is a giant Mallard retaining the colors of the w ild bird and weighing 
as much as nine to twelve pounds. It is a good table bird but slower to mature than 
some other large breeds. It probably originated somewhere in France. 
The Pekin Duck came from China, and w^as apparently not known in Europe or 
America before 1873. It is one of the most useful varieties. These ducks are pure 
white, and w'eigh from eight to nine pounds. 
The Aylesbury Duck, named after a town in the County of Bucks, England, is 
also a w hite breed, but has a deeper keel than the Pekin. It is one of the more valu- 
able of the domestic breeds, being remarkable for rapid growth and early maturity. 
The Penguin Duck is a native of Java. It is a remarkable breed, having a slender 
body, small wings and upright carriage. The bones of the leg are said to be longer and 
there is often a top-knot on the head. The plumage is gray to white. 
The Indian Runner is nearly allied to the last variety, brought from India and 
introduced into the County of Cumberland, England, in 1850. They are very long 
