During 1910, I tried for many months to find some verifi- 

 cation of a record, reported here in 1909, of 380 eggs from one 

 Indian Runner Duck in a single year. At first, it was reported 

 here that this record was made in Australia. It was thought 

 to be a public record. Late in 1910, an English writer and 

 traveller wrote me that he had seen this duck, about which all 

 the Runner world was agog. He wrote : "I had the pleasure 

 of seeing the record duck while I was in New Zealand, as I 

 went to see the plant of its owner. * * * It is his 'Wonder' 

 strain and laid 330 eggs in 365 days, and 512 eggs in 23 months, 

 going through two complete moults. He had six 'Little Won- 

 ders,* brefl from this one, entered in the Cambridge Laying Com- 

 petition, which were only four and one-half to five and one-half 

 months old when entered, and had gone through a complete 

 moult. When I left, had put up the good total of 900 eggs in 

 seven months, notwithstanding these obstacles ; the last twelve 

 weeks' totals averaging over thirty-nine." 



I have not seen any of Mr. Scott's ducks, but the photo- 

 graphs show them to be fair to good in carriage, but rather 

 heavy in type. Naturally, a record so far beyond what we have 

 been accustomed to think possible raises many eyebrows among 

 us. Mr. Scott claims to have five strains, each of which has 

 made a record of above 300 eggs average, "equal to and over 

 the 300-egg record." He tells of a bird which laid 202 when 

 from 3^ to 4^ years old; and of three which laid 200 eggs 

 each in eight and one-half months. 



It could not be expected that birds placed in competition 

 many miles away from home, in strange hands, could do as well 

 as they would do at home, under the owner's careful eye and 

 hand. But the Cambridge Duck Egg-Laying Test reports 

 through its Secretary, that six Scott birds from four and one-half 

 to five and one-half months old when entering the tests, and 

 moulting twice during the year, made a total of 1301 eggs for 



34 



