544 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
V 
Peru, and so called from the odour of musk which pervades its 
plumage, and is quite pleasant in the beautifully soft down with 
which it lines its nest. 
In the old poultry books Musk Ducks are somewhat fully de¬ 
scribed, in the modern ones they are passed over very curiously. 
Dixon, who devotes a chapter to the breed, hardly, as it seems to 
us, does it justice. He says of the Musk Duck, “ It will never 
go near the water if it can help it, but will prefer the farmyard, 
the precincts of the kitchen, or even the piggery itself, to the 
cleanest stream that ever flowed ; in fact, it hates water except 
some dirty puddle to drink and dabble in. 
When thrown into a pond it gets out again as fast as it can.” 
Such is by no means our experience. The Musk Duck will not, 
like the Mallard or the black East Indian Duck, be continually 
found upon the water, but ours swim frequently and keep their 
plumage, which is white, in spotless condition. Any Duck which 
has been reared, as many are, under a hen and far from water 
till it is mature will always hate water. The Musk Duck is not 
peculiar in this respect. Its first peculiarity is the great dispro¬ 
portion of size between the two sexes, the drake being nearly 
twice the size of the Duck. Both have much curious coral- 
coloured flesh about the head, and both make peculiar subdued 
noises unlike the “ quack ” of the ordinary Duck. They perch, 
too, on fences and on trees ; our own look very pretty established 
for the night on a fence running through a pond to keep the 
cattle from deep water. The male bird is certainly one of the 
largest of the Duck tribe, and may with advantage be used to 
cross with the Aylesbury or Rouen Duck. The produce of such 
a union are very large, attain the earliest maturity, and are 
delicious to eat; but it should be remarked that the Musk drake 
is generally very faithful to a mate of his own species, and if it 
is desired to rear cross-bred Ducks no Musk Duck should be kept. 
We have heard that when old the drake often becomes ferocious, 
and besides flying at human beings bullies poultry and other 
Ducks. We have not found ours do so. We have this spring 
bred from a single pair in a large enclosure round a piece of 
water with two or three other kinds of Ducks upon it. The 
Musk birds have kept to themselves, and have never in any way 
molested any of the others old or young. The Ducks are fair 
layers and the best of mothers. They make a beautiful nest of 
their down, almost equal to eider down, and which has a delicate 
musk scent. They sit (this should be well remembered) thirty- 
six days, and sometimes more. The Duck should be cooped for 
three or four days, and may then be allowed to range about with 
her family, which she will do most quietly and contentedly. The 
young are the prettiest and quaintest of ducklings and very 
tameable ; they soon show their perching propensities by sitting 
on the edge of their drinking vessels. For the first month they 
should be driven into a dry coop or house at night. About food 
they are not at all particular, and will eat whatever is prepared 
for chickens or other ducklings. 
The plumage of Musk Ducks is found pure black, pure white, 
and more often black and white or mottled brown and white. 
The self-coloured birds are by far the handsomest ; we prefer 
the white, which is the colour of our own, for it is the purest 
white possible, like that of the Fantail Pigeon, and has none 
of the tinge of yellow so common on white fowls and other 
white Ducks. The black, too, are handsome birds, and the gloss 
and sheen of green and purple upon them is very bright, equal 
to that of the black East Indian Duck. Black, we are told, is the 
colour of the wild breed in South America. Audubon asserts 
that they make their nests in a wild state in trees or stocks 
of trees. We have never known them to do so in a domestic 
state. The young ones should be killed at ten weeks old if reared 
for the table, when their flesh will be found both rich and tender. 
There is something fascinating in the extreme tameness and con¬ 
fidence of the breed ; the Duck specially struts about most calmly 
surrounded by her family, and quite free from the stupid fussiness 
of Ducks in general. Where many eggs are required we do not 
recommend them ; but where there is room for variety and some 
tameable pets are desired, then decidedly Musk Ducks should be 
added to the aquatic stock.—C. 
THE POULTRY CLUB. 
A MEETING of the Committee of the Poultry Club was held at 
Charing Cross Hotel on Monday, the 27th of June, at 2 P.M. There 
were present Messrs. T. C. Burnell (in the chair), T. W. Anns, R. A. 
Boissier, A. Comyns, O. E. Cresswell, A. Darby, andL. C. C. R. Norris. 
Election of Members — The following new associate member was 
elected—L. W. W. Melhuish, 16, Erith Villas, Northend, Erith, Kent. 
Disqualification.— The complaint against Mr. C. Brown of Win¬ 
dermere, which had been several times previously under the considera¬ 
tion of the Committee, was again brought forward. It was alleged 
by Mrs. Paxon, Oak Villas, Hamfrith Road, Stratford, that Mr. C. 
Brown early in December last sold and delivered to her a bird pur¬ 
porting to be the Buff Cochin cockerel, winner of cup at the Dairy 
Show, 1880 ; that he subsequently advertised another bird, also pur¬ 
porting to be the Dairy Show winner, for sale, and also advertised 
eggs for hatching from hens mated with that bird ; and that Mr. 
Brown actually sent on approval to a friend of Mrs. Paxon the bird 
so advertised. Mrs. Paxon submitted letters written by Mr. Brown 
in support of her complaint. The Secretary had had considerable 
correspondence with Mr. Brown, without obtaining any explanation 
satisfactory to the Committee. It was resolved— 
“ That Mr. C. Brown of Lake Side New Hotel, Windermere, be disqualified for 
one year from the 27th June, 1881, from exhibiting at Shows held under Poultry 
Club rules.” 
Owners Bidding at Shows.— The Secretary submitted for con¬ 
sideration a draft of the case to be put before counsel as resolved at 
the last meeting, and such draft was approved by the Committee. 
Non-Payment of Sale Money by Show.— A complaint by Mr. 
A. E. Ward that the sum of £1 16s. due to him from a show held at 
Thornton on August 9th, 1879, being the proceeds of a sale (less 
commission) of a pen of Buff Cochins entered in the selling class at 
that show, had not been paid, was again before the Committee. The 
Secretary reported that he had written twice, on the second occasion 
by registered letter, to the Secretary of the Thornton Show asking 
for an explanation of the matter, but that he had received no answer 
to either communication. It was resolved— 
“ That Mr. A. E. Ward should be guaranteed his expenses, not exceeding £3, 
of recovering in the County Court the amount due to him for sale of birds at 
Thornton Show.” 
Accounts.— The accounts of the Club for 1880 were laid before 
the Committee, examined and approved, and it appeared that there 
was a balance to the credit of the Club as on December 31st, 1880, of 
£173 15s. 4 d. 
Club Library.— It was resolved that a Club library should be 
formed, and that Mr. Lewis Wright’s collection of poultry books 
should be purchased to form the nucleus of such library. —Alex. 
Comyns, Hon. Sec. Poultry Club, 47, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., 
June 28th, 1881. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Hen Crop-bound (W. S. R .).—Your hen is crop-bound. Pour some warm 
water down her throat, and gently but thoroughly knead the crop for some 
time. This will distend and soften the crop, and a table-spoonful of castor-oil 
will probably clear away the obstruction. Should this not succeed you must 
cut open the crop near the top, making an incision through the outer and 
inner skin about an inch in length. Through this opening the contents of the 
crop must be removed with a small spoon, the crop thoroughly washed out, and 
any obstruction which may have lodged in the outlet removed. The opening 
must then be sewn up, each skin being stitched separately and each stitch dis¬ 
tinct. Horsehair is the best material to use for thread. We have sometimes 
avoided the necessity for this operation by softening the food in the crop with 
a considerable quantity of water, holding the bird by the legs with the head 
down and the back against our knees, and gently but firmly pressing the liquid 
food through the gullet. This must be done with care and rapidity, or the bird 
may be choked in the process, and the food to be removed must be kept in a 
liquid or semi-liquid form by pouring in water from time to time until all has 
been removed. Whichever plan be adopted the bird must be carefully fed on 
soft food in small quantities for some time afterwards. Do not allow her to eat 
much grass for some time. 
Chickens Lame {Idem ).— It is probable that the lameness has been 
caused by an injury, as you suggest. Is there any wirework in which they 
might get their feet caught ? 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CAMDEN SQUARE,LONDON. 
Lak. 51° 32'40” N.; Long.0°8'0" W.; Altitude,111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
• a 
Hygrome- 
fl . 
Shade Tem- 
Radiation 
a 
1881. 
ter. 
perature. 
Temperature. 
as 
June. 
££ 
In 
On 
Dry. 
Wet. 
So 
hi 
Max. 
Min. 
sun. 
grass. 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
Sun. 19 
29.820 
60.0 
54.3 
s.w. 
59.7 
71.8 
54.0 
122.0 
482 
Mon. 20 
29.780 
66.3 
58.7 
s.w. 
59.8 
70.7 
54.0 
122.6 
49.3 
0.014 
Tnes. 21 
29.554 
64.6 
60.7 
S.E. 
60.4 
73.4 
58.1 
124.7 
53.2 
Wed. 22 
29.671 
62.6 
56.9 
s.w. 
60.9 
70.6 
£6.3 
123.7 
52.7 
Thurs. 23 
30.053 
64.5 
57.1 
N.W. 
61.0 
72.6 
61.6 
129.5 
47 A 
Friday 24 
30.233 
61.1 
56.9 
N. 
61.3 
763 
49.6 
117.3 
43.6 
Satur. 25 
30.028 
63.7 
57.1 
s.w. 
60.8 
72.4 
48.6 
109.9 
43.4 
0.240 
Means. 
29.877 
63.3 
37.4 
60.6 
72.5 
53.2 
121.7 
48.2 
0.254 
REMARKS. 
19th.—Pine breezy day. 
20th.—Pine ; overcast at intervals ; slight rain in evening. 
21st.—Dull and overcast; very gusty wind ; much finer latter part of day. 
22nd.—Dull with slight rain in early morning; bright and fine afterwards. 
23rd.—Pine pleasant day ; cool breeze. 
24th.—Hazy in morning ; fine warm day. 
25th.—Cool and showery ; fine evening. 
Temperature very uniform and rather above the average. No rain of import¬ 
ance except on Saturday.—G. J. SYMONS. 
