THE TAME DUCK. 



OHIG-IN AND HISTORY. 



It would he curious to know when this species was first domesti- 

 cated ; but, reader, the solution of such a question is a task on which I 

 shall not venture. 



AlTDUBOIf. 



Iij^iegard to the origin of the ordinary farmyard 

 duck, but one leading opinion seems to have prevailed 

 in all the compilations from Aldrovandi down to Au- 

 dubofl:, tibat it is nothing more than the tame descend- 

 ant of Jne common wild duck, (Anas boschas,) of 

 Europe, or the old English mallard. It is a pity to 

 disturb so plausible and general a belief ; but an at- 

 tempt to approximate to the solution of Audubon's 

 problem "when this species was first domesticated" 

 has raised some doubts upon the subject, which it is 

 of no use to suppress. One thing, .however, is very 

 certain — the wild breed and the tame will freely inter- 

 mix, and the progeny partake rather more decidedly 

 of the habits and manners of the former, than of the 

 latter. 



There are, indeed, many, points, irrespective of the 

 varied colors in our domestic breeds, in which the 

 tame and wild ducks differ. For instance, the tame 

 duck is polygamous, but the wild species mates. 

 Again, the feet of the wild duck are black while those 

 of the tame birds are flesh-colored or red. 



