30 
Kong, to which he replied, that “ it would be easier to send a 
pair of mandarins than a pair of mandarin ducks.” ** But thanks 
to the benefits resulting from acclimatisation, I found, during 
my recent visit to London, that I could have purchased them 
from the Zoological Society of London for six guineas the pair— 
less than one-half the amount demanded for them in China, 
and not then procurable even at their own exorbitant price. 
They were thus introduced into Europe : Two pairs reached a 
skilful amateur at Rotterdam, and from these individuals the 
whole of the birds of this species nowin Europe have descended. 
This bird appears to be indigenous to the country north of Pekin, 
whence the mandarins at Canton and in the south generally 
obtain a supply for their aviaries. 
There is a fact in connection with the rearing of this bird 
which ought not to be passed unnoticed. In my work before 
alluded to, 1 stated that the male bird in its native country loses 
its gay plumage in May, and remains until August in a dress 
which bears a close resemblance to that of the female; and as it 
was desirable to ascertain if a similar change took place in 
England, the following was the report as given by Mr. Gould. 
The first egg was laid on the 2nd of May, the female began to 
sit on the 20th, and the young were hatched on the 20tli of 
June. When the female commenced sitting the male began to 
throw off his fine plumage, and by the 1st of July had become 
so like the female as to be scarcely distinguishable; the primary 
feathers, which are only moulted once a-year, were not fully 
perfected until the 3rd of August ; these feathers were then 
beautifully green, with a narrow stripe of snow white about an 
inch in length from their tips. The bill at this period was less 
brilliant, and the old male, female and progeny were all so similar 
in size and colour as to render it difficult to distinguish one from 
the other— all having a beautiful olive-mottle plumage, both chaste 
and elegant. By the beginning of October, the young males of the 
broods, as well as the old drakes, had all assumed their full and 
gorgeous livery — the youthful birds being scarcely inferior in 
beauty to the adults. A more interesting and lovely sight was never 
seen in the gardens of the Zoological Society, rich as it has 
been in objects of the highest interest, than was to he observed 
in the aviary containing a double brood of mandarin ducks. At 
least ten out of the sixteen birds were males, which during a 
part of the day were frequently to be seen perched upon the 
branches of trees, and at others were exhibiting in the proudest 
manner their lovely hues while swimming in the oval stone 
