5 
to walk in an upright position. In size these ducks are very large, 
some reaching as high as 20 pounds to the pair. Their flesh is very 
delicate and free from grossness, and they are considered among the 
best of table fowls. They are excellent layers, averaging from 100 to 
130 eggs each m a season. They are nonsetters, hardy, easily raised, 
and the earliest in maturing of any ducks. The method given in this 
bulletin for raising ducks is based on the Pekin as a standard, and the 
treatment, food, housing, etc., is given as used by the largest and most 
successful raisers of Pekins. Other ducks are judged for practical 
qualities by the Pekin. Pig. 2 shows a group of White Pekin ducks. 
The standard-bred Pekin has a long finely formed head, a bill of 
medium size, of a deep yellow color, that is perfectly free from any 
mark or color other than yellow. The color of the bill is very important 
for exhibition birds, and it is not infrequent that one of the best ducks 
in a showroom is disqualified for having'a faint tracing of black in the 
bill. The eyes are of deep leaden-blue color. The neck of a Pekin 
should be neatly curved ; in the drake it should be large and rather 
long, while that of the duck is of medium length. The back is long and 
broad; breast is round, full, and very prominent. The body is long 
and deep, and the standard gives for adult birds a body approaching 
the outlines of a parallelogram. The wings are short, carried closely 
and smoothly against the body. The birds can not sustain flight, a 
2-foot fencing being ample to restrain them in an inclosnre. The tail 
is erect, more so than in any other specimen. The curled feathers in 
the tail of the drake are hard and stiff. The thighs are short and large; 
shanks short and strong, and in color are a reddish orange; toes 
straight, connected by a web, and reddish orange in color. The plum¬ 
age is downy, and of a faint creamy white throughout. Recently it has 
been noticed that preference in the showroom is being given to birds of 
whiter plumage. The breeders are selecting as their show birds those 
that have the snow-white plumage instead of the creamy white, as 
given in the standard. 
Weight.—The standard weight of the adult drake is 8 pounds; adult 
duck, 7 pounds; young drake, 7 pounds, and young duck, 6 pounds. 
WHITE AYLESBURY DUCKS. 
History.—The White Aylesbury ducks (fig. 3.) are second to the pop¬ 
ular Pekins for market purposes, and are bred in large numbers in 
England and Europe. In this country they are not so extensively bred 
as the Pekin, neither have they been found so good as the latter. These 
ducks receive their name from Aylesbury, the county town of Bucking¬ 
hamshire, England. They are of large size, pairs occasionally reaching 
the weight of 18 pounds, the male birds weighing 9 or 10 pounds, and 
the female 7 or 8. Birds weighing 15 to 16 pounds to the pair are the 
average. 
Description.—The head of the Aylesbury duck is long and neatly 
