THE CAROLINA DUCK. 
*29 
competition to keep it up to the mark in an artificial 
state. In the show pen it otten has to compete with its 
only near ally and rival , 
THE CAROLINA DUCK. 
( Aix sponsa .) 
This lovely bird, which some people prefer to the 
Mandarin, is of about the same size as . that species, but 
lower on its legs, and of more level carriage, this approxi- 
mating still more to the Muscovy, which it also some- 
what recalls in gait and gesture, being less animated and 
less given to posturing than the Mandarin. Indeed, the 
drake has only one piece of furnishing to show off, his 
magnificent crest, which is deep, glossy purple and 
green, with two parallel longitudinal white streaks, one 
running from the bill and one from the eye. The rest 
of the head and neck are of the same rich metallic Inn 
gloss of her mate to distinguish her on close inspection : 
moreover, the white round the eye spreads with age to 
the forehead and chin, and is always extensive. But the 
best point by which to distinguish the two ducks, if they 
can be taken in hand, is the wing-lining, which is coarsely 
pencilled black and white in the Carolina, and plain 
grey-brown in the Mand trim 
It will be seen that the Carolina duck is a consider- 
ably better match for her mate than the Mandarin ; 
and the drake himself makes some amends for his want 
of fans and hackle by not going into such complete un- 
dress as his relative. He loses his crest it is true, but 
he still has a blackish-green head with white throat, 
and a fair amount of gloss on the upper surface, although 
no longer to be compared with what he was when in 
colour. 
Thus each of these charming ducks has points of its 
own to recommend it to the fancier, one excelling in 
brilliant and bizarre ornamentation, the other having a 
more sober and richer beauty, and not exhibiting such 
a soml re appearance in the female and out-of-plumag ■ 
GROtrr of Waterfowl. (Photograph from Life. 1 
Pintail. Maniaiin(2). gargany'I'eal. 
Carolina. 
widgeon (2). 
Tdfted Dock. 
' s the sides, the front being pure white, running up into 
a point on the cheeks and again below. All the upper 
plumage is resplendent with a satiny or velvety gloss of 
steel-blue and bronze-green, while the breast is rich 
chocolate with triangular white spots passing into the 
white of the belly, which, however, stops at the stern, 
this being dark and richly glossed like the upper parts. 
The flanks are pencilled as in the Mandarin, but on a 
cream instead of a buff ground, and finished off with an 
edging of black and white, obliquely tranverse bars 
above, which are barely indicated in the other species. 
Between flanks and tail conies a patch of rich maroon, 
and the flights are silvered and steel-tipped as in the 
Mandarin, while the similar blue, white-tipped wing-bar 
is almost lost in the general brilliancy of the wing. °The 
bill is scarlet, yellow, and black, the eyes and eyefids red, 
and the feet yellow, with dark webs. 
The duck much resembles the Mandarin duck in 
colour, but shows above enough of the bronze and steel 
male. What the young Carolina drake is like I do not 
know. 
The Carolina duck, often called the Summer duck, is 
chiefly found in North America, but ranges south to the 
West Indies ; in the States it is known as the Wood 
duck. 
It has long been known as an ornamental bird, 
having been introduced early in the century. Its 
general habits and disposition resemble those of the 
M indarin, and it should be treated in the same way ; 
but in the show pen a Mandarin drake ought to take 
precedence of a Carolina of equal merit, seeing that his 
points are more numerous ; while, on the other hand, 
the Carolina duck, if well glossed and with good face- 
marking, should have her claims considered as against 
her plainer rival if pairs are being shown. In fact, as the 
duck of this species shows a tendency to high colour, 
this should be encouraged by competition as much as 
possible by the showing of single birds. 
