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The Illustrated Book of Poultry . 
itself has been shown ; besides which there are the Teal, the Garganey Teal, Shieldrake, Shoveller, 
Pintail, Wigeon, Pochard, &c. The Chilian and Bahama Pintails are often exhibited, and have 
been bred. Another remarkable bird is the Variegated Shieldrake, Kasarka, or Paradise Duck, in 
which the colours of male and female stand in startling contrast. All the Shieldrakes, by the way, 
are bad-tempered, and should not be kept with other breeding ducks, or they may destroy them. 
THE SPOTTED-BILL DUCK. — One of the latest introductions is the duck thus named, 
respecting which, and the management of these foreign or wild exotics generally, we have been 
kindly furnished with the following notes by the Rev. W. Serjeantson, of Acton Burnell, 
Shrewsbury : — 
“ The ducks which I sent to the Crystal Palace and Bristol Shows last winter were Spotted- 
Billed Ducks, Anas pcecilorhynca. Several couples were sent over to England from Cawnpore by a 
friend of mine last summer, and of those which survived the voyage, two pairs were kept at the 
Regent’s Park Gardens, and the other two pairs were sent to me as soon as they had recovered their 
health and strength under Mr, Bartlett’s skilful nursing. I believe these four pairs are the only 
ones in Europe at the present time. They are very handsome ducks. The bill is jet black with a 
red spot at the base, and a yellow tip, whence their name. The breast of the drake is pale brown, 
beautifully marked with dark brown spots, reminding one of the brown spots on a big trout. The • 
wing-spot is larger and of a brighter green than in any other duck I know, and has a band of black 
and another of white both above and below it. The tertiaries are long and particularly broad, and 
very conspicuous, the outer web being white. These are their most noticeable points. The 
marking of the duck is less distinct, and the colour less bright. 
“The gentleman who was kind enough to send them, writes in a letter to me, ‘We in 
Cawnpore always reckon it the best duck for the table of all that are found in India. There is 
little doubt that the breed may be kept up, if the birds can be brought to England ; and I think 
that they may be made the basis of a very fine domestic breed.’ So may it be ! I am looking 
forward with great interest to next spring, hoping to see this prediction fulfilled. 
“ I have several other varieties of fancy ducks, which all run together in an orchard something 
less than an acre in extent, surrounded by wire netting or high palings. They have for companions 
Black East Indian Ducks, Black Hamburghs, Japanese Bantams, and Fantail Pigeons (by the way, I 
may here mention for the benefit of ‘ those whom it may concern,’ as there are disputes on the 
subject, that the Hamburghs and Bantams have been thus running together for two years without 
the least ill effects, neither of them interfering in any way with the other.) The Fantails have their 
own particular meals at another time and place, but they generally fly down to take their part in 
the scramble which ensues among all the ducks and fowls when the food is scattered among them 
on the grass. The food consists generally of a mixture of equal parts of barley-meal and sharps, 
varied with Indian corn and small but sound wheat. There is a small artificial pond supplied by a 
spring for the ducks, and on each side of it I have planted a thick mass of laurels, rhododendrons, 
&c. The fowls are allowed to run in these during the autumn and winter ; but at the beginning of 
the breeding season they are fenced round with wire netting, and reserved for the ducks alone, small 
nest-boxes being put among them for those of the ducks that choose to make use of them. 
“ Fancy ducklings are better reared under small hens or Bantams, and I think it is of great 
importance that they should always have a warm dry bed in all weathers. With this view I have 
had loose wooden floors made to all the coops, which are cleaned out every day, and a little dry 
grass or hay scattered over them, just enough to cover the boards. (For chickens I use dry sand or 
sandy soil). One great advantage of the floors is that the coops can be put in the garden or 
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