8 



white : possibly a white bar might ultimately result. The light-coloured Drakes have a green 

 head and neck and small white ring ; chestnut breast, with this colour extended slightly over the 

 back and wings, and underneath the latter; the back minutely marked with slate-coloured 

 speckles; rump and tail-coverts velvet black; beak green; legs orange. The dark-coloured Drakes 

 have a green head and neck, but no white ring ; breast and back speckled with slate-colour on a 

 white ground; under tail-coverts and vent whitish. The Ducks, and especially those of the light 

 shade, are beautifully spotted and marked when observed closely." 



Mr. W. W. Smith, of Ashburton, who has likewise devoted himself to experiments of a 

 similar kind, has sent me the following interesting notes : — 



The progeny of hybrid Eouen and Grey Duck are quite fertile, and rear two and three broods a 

 year. The Drakes are of two forms— the richly crested and plain-headed— while they differ also very much in 

 the typical or general coloration of the plumage. The crested forms invariably have the pectus of various rich 

 shades of cinnamon, red, and deep brown. Some of the plain-headed forms likewise have the pectus of these 

 colours, while others are of a uniform pale blue with delicately mottled markings of a bluish-black shade ; the 

 latter forms are invariably without the narrow white neck-ring which is present in the crested forms. 

 The parents of these birds were hybrids as stated, but they exhibited no sign of a crest or of the remarkable 

 range of variability shown by their progeny. You are aware that hybrids of the first cross differ much 

 between the Eouen and native Grey Duck. This is due chiefly to the class of Eouen Drake, which, under 

 domestication, is extremely variable, unless bred under careful artificial selection. The chief object in view 

 when undertaking these experiments was to test the fertility of hydrids in New Zealand. 



December 19th, 1903. — Since writing the foregoing notes I have secured thirty-one young birds from birds 

 of the second generation of hybrids, that is to say, from the progeny of the first cross between the Eouen and 

 the native Grey Duck. The three Ducks rearing these broods have bred with the Drake having the same 

 lineage as themselves, for six years, and up to this season have produced birds as described in my former notes. 

 In one of these broods, however, four of them are white, and in another brood there is one white one. They 

 are the same neat little birds as are the grey forms of the broods. All these birds have bred on a small pond, 

 enclosed with wire netting, and no other Drakes were near. I think it is of great interest to record these white 

 birds occurring in the broods. With their neat little forms they bid fair to make an interesting addition to our 

 ornamental water-fowl. 



The birds shown in the accompanying photograph exhibit three forms of hybrid Ducks. The larger pair 

 on the left are Muscovy-Eouen, and are of a fine rich cinnamon-brown colour, with richly iridescent plumage. 

 These birds are very beautiful and conspicuous on ornamental waters, while they are valuable table birds, 

 weighing from 7 lbs. to 8 J lbs., and are very hardy and easily reared. Our Muscovy- Aylesbury hybrids are 

 blue-black and white, and are also magnificent birds for the purposes already noted. 



GROUP OF HYBRID DUCKS. 



