556 
The Illustrated Book of Poultry. 
cold water (only just sufficient water to thoroughly soak it) ; then add the other ingredients in a 
dry state to the poultry-food, and if carefully mixed it will make a very nice food. The food 
should be placed in shallow earthenware pans, and after the first day or two a few pieces of veiy 
finely-chopped boiled lights or liver will greatly help them, and a few small earth-worms 
occasionally ; also a little canary-seed as they get older. Water should be given rather sparingly> 
always giving some duck-weed in the same ; this duck-weed should be collected in the evening, 
when numerous small molluscs will be secured with it, which is of wonderful assistance in 
rearing them. 
“ They should never be allowed to get old enough to fly before they are pinioned, which may 
be done very easily with a sharp pair of strong scissors, getting the scissors nearly close up to the 
first joint of wing, when a quick action will sever the part, taking care not to cut away the little 
projecting point with about three feathers, near to the elbow of wing, as this serves to protect the 
part where amputated. After having carefully performed the operation, let them have some clean 
cold water to dabble in ; the blood will then very soon cease to flow. Bring them on gradually to 
same food as for adults ; not forgetting to look well after their safety as well as feeding, for rats are 
terrible enemies to them.” 
It will be seen that the great point in endeavouring to breed these beautiful birds is to imitate 
nature as far as possible. A pond with a small island well screened with shrubs is capital for this 
purpose, and is one great cause of the success at the Zoological Gardens, in Regent’s Park, where 
both Mandarins and Carolinas have bred repeatedly. A small house something' like a pigeon- 
house, fixed on a pole standing in the water, with a little hen-ladder reaching to it out of the water, 
and shaded with boughs or brambles, is also a good plan ; and in such circumstances, if perfectly 
secured from rats, the ducks may be left to hatch and rear their own young, though hens are 
to be preferred. It is to be remarked that the smaller kinds of ducks hatch in less time than 
the larger. Mandarins and Carolinas usually hatch in about twenty-five days ; but something 
depends upon whether the eggs are set under hens, which, owing to the greater heat of their bodies 
(at least we suppose so, reasoning generally), hatch from one to two days earlier than if the same 
eggs are set under their natural parent. 
JUDGING DUCKS. — After a comparison of many awards, we have arrived at the conclusion 
that to embody the judging of ducks in a reliable table is neither possible nor necessary. The 
larger varieties are practically judged chiefly by weight ; it being very rarely that there are not 
plenty of specimens correct in bill and other fancy points. Black East Indians do not seem to us 
to be judged at all uniformly, some judges appearing to lay far the most stress on smallness, and 
others on “colour.” In our own opinion, out of a total of a hundred points, “colour” should be 
allowed about forty-five, symmetry twenty-five, and smallness and condition together forty ; but 
there is no uniform practice, and we give this expressly as our own view. Mandarins and Carolinas 
should be judged almost entirely by the perfection, precision, and brilliancy of their plumage, in 
which condition will of course have a large share. In the case of many varieties competing 
together, everything must obviously be left to the judge, who will be guided partly by his views 
as to encouraging anything new, partly by the merit of the specimens themselves, and partly by his 
own opinion as to the appearance of each specimen. For this there is no remedy, unjust as it is 
both to judge and exhibitor ; except in the few cases where the liberality of committees allows a 
judge in such open classes to award “ extra” prizes wherever he thinks rare specimens have a fair 
claim to such a distinction ; but we must add that a few pounds spent in this way would prevent 
much heart-burning, and be well-bestowed. 
