The Muscovy. 141 



away from home, but can be left at liberty without fear of 

 their straying away. They are very similar in colour to the 

 East Indian ducks, being of a brilliant black throughout, with 

 lustrous green reflections on the head, neck, and wings ; 

 both males and females have a bright purple or claret brown 

 tinge on the back and wings, but the secondaries are more 

 blue than green ; the drake also is more strongly tinted 

 with green than the duck. The drake's bill is greenish 

 yellow, but not so yellow as the Kouens, and it has a clear 

 black bean at the tip. The bill of the duck is black at the 

 base, and tipped with a greenish slate colour ; and the colour 

 of the bill, like that of the Rouen, changes at different 

 seasons of the year. The shape of the bill differs from that 

 of any of the other breeds already named, as it does not 

 come straight from the skull, but curves down to the centre 

 and up towards the tip, in dish shape. The legs are of a 

 smoky orange colour, and, from the colour of its plumage, 

 the Cayuga is very suitable for any place, whilst its 

 economic qualities make it one of the most valuable of all 

 water fowls. 



The Muscovy. — This duck was brought from South 

 America, and hence it is sometimes called the "Peruvian" 

 duck, but the name usually given to it refers to its musky 

 odor. The drake is much larger than the duck, which is a 

 good layer, hardy, easily reared, and rich in flesh. Being 

 most puguacious and tyrannical, the muscovy duck cannot be 

 recommended for farmyard purposes. No other fowl can 

 exist with comfort, and it is best either to have no other 

 birds about the place, or to confine them to a run of their 

 own, which is not always a convenient matter. Of this 

 variety there are the black, blue, mottled, and white ; the 

 feathers are very profuse and long, and in the dark drake the 

 colour is exceedingly lustrous. The head is noticeable for a 

 fleshy bunch at the base of the bill, and there is also a red 



