DUCKS. 185 



or brown and orange ; weight about 8 lbs., some- 

 times 9 lbs.; when heavier, some defect of 

 plumage or bill is always found. 



" Rouen Duck — brown pencilling on a greyish 

 body; the hack beautifully marked with blackish 

 green on light brown base; ribbon mark and 

 other colour of wings nearly like the drake; 

 towards the tail the feathers should be well 

 pencilled, quite to the tip. The head should be 

 marked with three dark longitudinal stripes from 

 the bill past the eye, and the neck on no account 

 should have the least appearance of a white ring ; 

 this would be as heretical as a white flight feather 

 in the wings. The hill should be broad, long, 

 and somewhat flat, brownish orange, with a dark 

 blotch on the upper part ; a slate-coloured bill, 

 or an absence of orange, is a sure disqualifica- 

 tion ; legs, brown and orange. Weight of first- 

 class birds, 7 lbs. It should be remarked that 

 Rouen drakes change colour in an extraordinary 

 manner ; they first resemble the ducks, then 

 moult to their true colour, then back to the 

 colour of ducks, and the fourth time moult to 

 their original beauty. J. K. Fowlek." 



