360 QUFENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 May, 1899. 
size, and often attains the large weight of 10, 11, and 12 lb., while the duck is 
also well up with 6, 7, and 7% 1b. each. They grow quickly and mature very 
early, being fit to kill as early as 8 weeks old, but even then weighing well up 
to other breeds of ducklings that may be about 4 to 6 weeks older. They sit 
well, and bring off large broods of young, and are good mothers ; nevertheless 
they are great scavengers, and require plenty of meat, which is best boiled. 
They will often eat each other’s little ones to satisfy their appetites. The 
drakes are much given to fighting, and become very ragged and dilapidated 
towards the end of the season. The ducks are not great layers, but keep at it 
on and off nearly all the year if left to hatch their own young. Their eggs are 
large and of a creamy white colour, 2 dozen weighing 4 lb. 12 0zs., or five eges 
going to the lb. Mr. Meller is also an extensive breeder of these, but thinks 
_they cannot be improved upon for table use by crossing with other breeds, but 
better Jet them keep to themselves and breed as naturally as possible. 
There are other breeds which are said to be good for table use, but they 
are not in yogue to any extent. So leaving the heavier varieties, I now turn to 
the laying strain, which has proved itself so remarkable of late, viz. :— 
INDIAN RUNNER DUCK. ; : 
This is to the duck world just what the Leghorn is to the fowl breeds, an 
out-an-out layer, and has not been beaten yet; in fact, nothing can come any- 
where near it when laying powers are in question. They are somewhat gmall 
in structure, weighing about 33 to 44 1b. each, and carry themselves exception- 
ally erect, so much so as to become quite comical. They are good foragers, 
travelling over a great distance in a short time in search of food. The drake 
has a head of bronzy green, while that of the duck is faint fawn, necks white, 
and the coloured parts of the body in both sexes are of a soft fawn shade, that 
of the drake being finely pencilled, with a reddish brown tinge on upper breast, 
while the duck has each feather centred and laced round with lighter buff, 
The legs of both are orange-red. The feathers lie close and compact. Their 
eggs are smaller than those of the general run of large ducks, but they make 
up for size in quantity. Two dozen eggs that I tried weighed 4 lb. 1 oz., or 
a little over six eggs to the lb. 
Some idea of their laying power may be gained from a note given me by 
Mr. 8S. H. Pitman, of Payneham, who is a successful breeder of the kind. 
Nine ducks, hatched on 16th November, 1897, up to 24th February, 1899, laid 
1,627 eggs, being an average of 181 eggs per duck for 9 months’ laying, and 
twelve young ones, hatched in the middle of August, commenced laying in the 
middle of December had laid up to 31st January 104 eggs, and in the 24 days 
of February laid 225, being an average of 9} per day, or a total of 319 in 2 
months. Thus proving that even in the hot summer months they lay weil if 
hatched at the proper time. Mr. John FE. Mellor also supplies a memorandum 
of eggs laid by three purebred ducks, being 432 eggs in 12 months—equalling 
an average of 144 eggs each, but during this time indisposition caused a 
cessation, otherwise average would have been greater. Mr. Mellor’s crossbred 
Indian Runner-Pekins are also laying well, having started to lay at 12 to 14 
weeks old, their eges being yet small owing to the youngness of the birds, 
weigh 3 1b. 11 oz. for 2 dozen or 6 eggs to the lb., but these will increase in 
weight as they grow older. The crossbred birds are heavier and are more 
chubby in shape; they can be distinguished at a glance, having a smoky 
appearance about the whole plumage, and bid fair to become larger than the 
purebred specimens. his will no doubt be an acquisition, as it will hit the 
happy medium of a good all-round class of duck, putting more flesh on the 
true bred Indian Runner, and on the other hand making the larger breeds 
crossed more productive in eggs, and itis believed also more fertile for breeding 
purposes, but this has yet to be proved by a little practical experience, for the 
crosses are new as yet, 
Tn conclusion, it must be borne in mind that the largest ducks of any 
special breed are not always the most productive, that is, those that have been 
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