MANDARIN— SCAUP 49 



on certain feathers. They may at once be distin- 

 guished, however, by the differently shaped head and 

 bills. In the Canvasback, the head is pointed at the 

 top, the bill also being sharply pointed and forming 

 a continuous line from the top of the head. The Red- 

 head has the usual roimded head and short, broad bill 

 of most of the family. 



Perhaps the most brilliantly coloured of all the 

 Ducks is the Mandarin, a native of China. The male 

 of this species, particularly in the breeding season, has 

 most gorgeously coloured plumage, almost impossible 

 to describe. The bird seems to be cut into sections of 

 colour, some being brown, some blue, some red, white, 

 and so on. The crest is purple and green. These 

 Ducks are rather small, and have the ability to perch 

 well on the branches of trees. 



The Wood Duck, or Summer Duck, of America is 

 closely related to the Mandarin, which it somewhat re- 

 sembles in colouring. It also perches in trees, and, 

 indeed, lays its eggs in the holes of trees, imlike most 

 Ducks, which make their nests on the ground. The 

 female of both the Mandarin and the Wood Duck is 

 dull brown in colour, and almost invisible as she stands 

 by the side of her brilliantly attired mate. 



The Aylesburys and the Pekin Ducks are large, 

 white domestic varieties that have practically lost the 

 power of flight. Muscovys, on the other hand, which 

 are descended from the South American Wild Duck, 

 although larger than the two preceding species, have 

 retained the ability to fly. These Ducks are curiously 

 mottled in places with dark green and white, and have 



