THE breeding of ducks for market purposes pays well, where there are suitable facilities at hand for prosecuting it, for there is always a good demand for both the flesh and the eggs. Generally in winter and spring ducks sell considerably higher than chickens, pound for pound, and the price of duck eggs is often higher than that of the choicest hens' eggs. Under favorable conditions, ducks are splendid layers, and during the height of the laying season will average nearly an egg a day for the entire flock for several weeks, so that there is no question but that duck breeding will pay when conducted properly. Those who have not made a trial of this kind of poultry, and are situated to do it properly, should at least experiment in this direction.

     Ducks are, as a rule, freer from attacks of disease and disorders than any other breed of fowls, but they must have plenty of room and sufficient water. They do not do well in confinement, though they must, during the laying season, be confined in their pens until they have laid their eggs, else they will drop them around promiscuously, wherever the desire seizes them, and thus many will fall to the lot of crows and skunks and other marauders. They will generally lay by or before ten o'clock each morning, when they can be given their liberty for the remainder of the day. By giving them a generous supply of food each evening, the flock will be sure to come home promptly at eve, when they can be penned up until after they have shelled out their eggs next morning.

     A river or larger stream is objectionable rather than otherwise, and more success will be had by Restricting their water privileges to a small and good stream. We know of one breeder who annually rears two or three hundred ducks, who utilizes a stream not larger than would readily flow through a four-inch pipe; by damming up the stream here and there he secures basins for them to bathe in. The brackish water near the sea coast where small creeks empty affords an excellent feeding place for ducks.

     Fanny Field gives some very good hints, rules and opinions about ducks and ducklings in the Prairie Farmer, from which we extract the following:

     "Every farmer who has a pond or stream of water on his premises should keep a few pairs of ducks, at least. As a rule, where there is any market within a reasonable distance of the farm, ducks and ducklings may be •profitably reared. Young ducks, in good condition, always command a good price in city markets, their feathers sell at a good price, and the eggs for cooking, and a roast duck occasionally, make tempting additions to the farmer's table. A good many farmers, who live too far from market to render it profitable to raise ducks for sale, would find that it would pay to raise them for feathers, and for meat for their own tables. Where one is blessed with a family of children the entire charge of a flock of ducks might be given over to the little folks, and they would take an infinite amount of pleasure in caring for the ducklings, collecting the eggs, feeding the old ducks, and watching their antics in the water. And then your little folks would be learning something all the time, and take my word for it, that there is nothing so good for children as to give them something to care for — to have them feel a sense of responsibility.

     "For a small flock a rail pen may be constructed and covered with boards. Have one side higher than the other, so that the board roof will shed rain. I have a good-sized yard near the water, surrounded by a picket fence, and with a long, low shed across the north side. Nests are placed along the back side of the shed, and the floor is well covered with dry gravel and earth, which keeps the floor free from filth. This spring I intend to extend the fence, so as to inclose a portion of the stream, and put in water gates, so that there will always be plenty of water in the yards at all times. Of course, the ducks are only confined in the yard at night, but I find that in winter and during the cold rains of early spring and late fall they spend a good deal of the time under the shed.

     "As ducks frequently lay for two or three months before they take a notion to rear a family, it is necessary, especially when one wishes to raise a large number of ducks, to set some of the first laid eggs under hens. The directions given for preparing nests and setting hens must be attended to when setting a hen on ducks' eggs. Do not crowd the nest; five ducks' eggs are enough for a small hen, and seven or eight for a Brahma or Cochin. Unless the eggs are set on the. ground, particular 'attention must be paid to the sprinkling with tepid water during the last two weeks of incubation. Sprinkle slightly every day while the hen is off for food. Neglect this and your chances for ducklings will be greatly lessened. Ducks' eggs usually hatch well. With fresh eggs that have not been chilled, and have been carefully handled, you may count on ducklings at the rate of ninety for every hundred eggs set. I don't think it pays to hatch ducklings very early in. the season, unless one wishes to raise some extra large birds for exhibition. Ducklings grow rapidly, and if hatched in April and May will grow to a good size for the winter market. Feed young ducklings on the same things and in the same way 'that you would feed young chickens. Feed ducks as fowls are fed.

     "The proper time for picking ducks may be ascertained by catching two or three of your flock and pulling out a few feathers here and there; if they pull hard and the quills are filled with bloody fluid, the feathers are not 'ripe,' and must be left a while longer; but if they come out easily, and the quills are clear, the feathers are called 'ripe,' and the birds should be picked at once, or they will lose the greater part of their feathers. To pick a duck before the feathers are fully ripe is to injure the bird very much; you will find a bunch of very long, rather coarse feathers under each wing; do not pluck them, they support the wings. When picking take but few feathers at a time between the thumb and forefinger, and give a short, quick jerk downward."

MALLARD DUCKS.

     The wild Mallard is found in all countries in the north temperate zone, and is undoubtedly the progenitor of all our domestic breeds having the recurved feather in the tail of the drake, a feature that is not found in other wild varieties besides the Mallard. Moreover, this breed of wild ducks comes easily under domestication, and is susceptible of marked variation in size and color when for a few generations in that condition.

     The origin of the domestic from this wild species is recognized in several of the languages of Europe, the same name being given to both. Besides this, when either the Pekins, Rouens, Cayugas, or Aylesburys are crossed with the wild Mallards, the offspring are not sterile "mules," but perfectly fertile, which fact indicates that the Mallards are the original wild species.

     It is interesting to many persons to know from what wild species our domestic fowls were derived. Such evidence as we have advanced is the most reliable, for certain peculiarities, as the recurved tail-feather of the drake, serve as a brand for ages.

     There is no species of wild duck or goose that may not be reared in captivity and half-tamed with ease. Thorough domestication is, however, a work of time, and persistent efforts must be made through generations, till the sense of familiarity with man becomes hereditary, and the weight of the birds acquired through profuse feeding, and the weakness of wing caused by disuse, make them incapable of prolonged flight.

     There is much uncertainty and obscurity in the genealogy of even man, the writer of history. But there is strong evidence that even the most civilized people had ancestors in a "wild state;" forefathers that would not, if pictured, excite ancestral pride. So in the case of animals we only mention indications. The history of the origin, not only of nearly all the various species of our domestic animals, but also of most varieties into which th.y are divided, is extremely obscure, or wanting altogether. The origin of the

ROUEN DUCK,

one of the most valuable and most widely disseminated of the class, is, however, quite certain. The French city, whose name the variety bears, and the district adjoining, had but little, comparatively, to do with its "make up;" but the combined labors of breeders in France and England evolved in the process of time, from the common domestic ducks, by selection on the basis of size, the plump, massive breed or variety to which some chance incident gave the appellation of Rouen. A parallel case is shown in the naming of the Hamburg fowl.

     The fine, close plumage, the " beauty spots " upon the wing of the Rouen drake, the delicate penciling upon his sides, the rich chestnut of his breast, and the black with green and blue reflections of his head, are almost exactly such as may be seen in his cousin, the common barn-yard drake. The art of the breeder has not produced this arrangement of tints, or modified it      essentially. The Rouen inherited it from the common domestic stock, who in turn derived it from their wild ancestors, the free, untamed denizens of stream, lake and fen, over the whole of the temperate regions, and a part of the tropical and arctic, throughout the entire northern hemisphere.

     The body of the Rouen is larger than that of the common duck, some specimens attaining great weight. Some pairs have been exhibited weighing thirty pounds. Thus we see how lightness of body and gracefulness of the wild species has been changed, owing to the influence of domestication, the effects of plentiful feed and easy life. The wild bird has a habit of activity and takes long flights, and has comparatively light weight, without much variation.

     The Rouen drake has lustrous green plumage on head and neck, the lower part of the latter having a distinct white ring, but not quite uniting at the back. The breast is dark, or purplish-brown, and the wings show colors of brown, purple and green, which do not fail to excite the admiration of the beholder. The duck has a less gorgeous dress of brown, penciled with darker brown, the wings having bars of purple, edged with white. Both sexes generally breed true to color. Probably the exact similarity of plumage, which has been preserved during improvement in size, like that of the common and wild varieties, is the result of man's selection. There was a beautiful pattern in the beginning, a Standard that nature gave, and man could do no better in colors than that. He selected for white and obtained the Aylesbury and the Pekin, and as far as plumage is concerned these varieties are admired "because they look so pure and so clean."

PEKIN DUCKS

were first imported from China by Mr. J. E. Palmer, of Stonington, Conn., in the spring of 1873. They were at first mistaken for small-sized geese. They have long bodies, quite long necks, and carry their tails erect when startled. A large number were brought on shipboard, mostly young birds, but only a very few survived the passage. The importer saved a drake and three ducks. They are, without doubt, a larger bird than the Rouen, and for their beauty and size a great acquisition to our poultry stock. The bill is yellow, and the legs are a reddish or orange-yellow. The wings are short, and as they cannot fly well, it is quite easy to keep them in small inclosures. They are very prolific. Two of the ducks of the first importation laid nearly one hundred and twenty eggs each from the last of March to about the first of August.

     Pekin Ducks have taken their proper place in the list of domestic fowls, and are rightly esteemed for their size and white plumage. Having been rapidly disseminated through the country since the fir„t importation, they have had a trial in the North and South, East and West. The trial has, no doubt, been a very unfair one in many instances. This new breed has been thoughtlessly subjected to all the disadvantages of incest. Men have bought pairs, perhaps brother and sister, and bred them closely in successive years, the stock diminishing in size and vigor, till Pekins were banished as degenerate and inferior. We say this to explain the fact that Pekin ducks do not all present the fine appearance of those exhibited by Mr. J. E. Palmer in 1874. Those breeders who have taken pains to cross with birds from a later importation, have fine success in maintaining size, and their birds are strong. The small wings of this variety of water fowl attest the great length of time since domestication. Thousands of years have passed," and the descendants of the wild Mallard of Asia became uniformly white, nearly, and the wings, through disuse, so small that flight is an impossibility. It is not easy to determine how long this process has been going on, but it is interesting to observe that our largest breeds of fowls, having comparatively the smallest wings, come from that quarter of the globe where, probably, man has longest dwelt and exercised dominion over the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air.

     Mr. G. P. Anthony, of Westerly, R. I., writes of Pekins as follows:

     "The ducks are white, with a yellowish tinge to the under part of the feathers; their wings are a little less than medium length, as compared with other varieties, making as little effort to fly as the large Asiatic fowls, and they can be as easily kept in inclosures. Their beaks are yellow, their necks long, their legs short and red. When the eggs are hatched under hens, the ducklings come_ out of the shell much stronger, if the eggs are dampened every day — after the first fifteen days — in water a little above blood heat, and replaced under the hen. The ducks are very large and uniform in size, weighing at four months old about twelve pounds to the pair. They appear to be very hardy, not minding severe weather. Water to drink seems to be all they require to bring them to perfect development. I was more successful in rearing them with only a shallow dish filled to the depth of one inch with water than those which had the advantages of pond and running stream."

     Of the second importation of Pekin Ducks by Mr. Palmer, Rev. W. Clift writes:

     "They were brought down from Pekin to the coast by Major Ashley and put on board the vessel. The mortality among the ducks was much greater on their journey in China than on shipboard. They came through the long voyage in safety, and only one, a drake, died after landing. They were in thin condition, but rapidly recruited, and after a few days began to lay. As they had laid a good many eggs on their passage, for the benefit of the cook, it was not expected that they would lay the usual number of eggs, but their performance was very satisfactory in this respect. The drake which leads the flock is a very large bird, with bone enough to carry ten pounds. The largest duck weighs eight pounds, seven ounces, and a second duck is nearly as heavy. These weights are larger than any that the first importation attained during the first season, though they have been exceeded since. It is one of the good points of these birds that they improve in weight after they become acclimated, and there is a steady gain up to the third generation. This importation from the best stock in China, carefully selected by Major Ashley, is likely to have an important influence upon the breed in this country.

     "There is much danger of deterioration from in-and in breeding, and our best breeders are careful to avoid it. It will now be in the power of all breeders of Pekins to get new blood into their flocks at small expense. Drakes of the second importation, bred with ducks of the first, or the equivalent breeding in the other direction, will probably give the best results attainable.

     "Mr. Palmer's facilities for breeding ducks are unsurpassed. His place is located immediately upon a salt water cove, fed by a mill stream, and the ducks have free access to the endless variety of salt water food which every tide brings in, as well as the run of a large meadow, where grasses and insects abound. It is fortunate for the reputation of the breed that all these natural facilities are united with skillful management at headquarters."

     In the future much will depend upon judicious management in breeding Pekin ducks. Breeders have ascertained by experience that repeated in-breeding brings deterioration; and if large size, the desirable quality, is to be attained, there must be selection of the largest specimens for breeding, not near akin. This is a very old breed of ducks in a comparatively new country. In the East, both land and water fowls have been domesticated for an immense period of time, and large breeds have been slowly developed. A Chinese Encyclopedia, published in 1609, but compiled from documents still older, states that fowls were kept in China over three thousand years ago.

WHITE-CRESTED DUCKS.

     This variety has very much the same characteristics as the Pekins. They are pure white in color, and are very graceful birds. This latter merit is owing a great deal to the crest, which the American Standard says should be "large, and well balanced on the top of the head — color, pure white." The bill is not large, being of a yellow color. The shanks are a light orange.

AYLESBURY DUCKS

take their name from the town in England where they have been bred from time immemorial as a market fowl. In that place and vicinity they are produced in large numbers, mostly by poor people, who find a market for the birds, when they are about six weeks old, in London. These sales in the aggregate for one year amount to £20,000 — a very handsome sum — furnishing for some families all the means of support. The ducklings intended for the early market are never permitted to go into water; » are fed at first on hard-boiled eggs chopped fine and mixed with boiled rice; then, as they get older, barley meal and tallow scraps are used.

     The Aylesburys are white as the driven snow, their legs orange color, bill of a pinkish or flesh color. The drakes differ not from the ducks in appearance, except as they show the curled feather in the tail. The eyes should be deep leaden blue. The weight of the Aylesbury drake, when raised to perfection, is about nine pounds, and that of the duck eight pounds. In this country this breed of ducks has been very generally disseminated, and before the introduction of the Pekins was the white duck; and now there are many breeders who prefer the Aylesbury ducks on account of their compact form, and their early maturity or fitness for market. There is a breed of ducks that has received attention from American fanciers, and is worthy of yet more. We. quote from Mr. Clift:

THE CAYUGA DUCK.

     "The Cayuga is as much an American breed as the Aylesbury is English or the Rouen is French, and it ought to receive much more attention from our fancy breeders. It has not been very extensively propagated until within a few years, and is now a rare bird in the farm-yards of our country. It is as easily raised as the common Mallard, and with careful breeding for a few generations may be brought up to the weight of the Rouen. It is said to have originated on the shores of Cayuga lake, and to be a cross of the wild black duck upon the common Mallard. However that may be, it has been long enough propagated to have very distinct qualities, and is properly called a breed. 'The head is small, neat and slender; the bill broad, rather short and dark in color; neck medium; breast broad, full and prominent; body long and round, very full and plump; wings long and carried well up; legs medium in length, and black or a dark slate color; plumage of drake of a glossy black throughout; the head and neck of a brilliant greenish hue; also, the wing coverts, but not so decided in color, the primaries of the duck sometimes being of a dark brown, all the rest is a jet black; a few flashes of white in the breast of the duck objectionable, but not a disqualification.'

     "This description is given by Mr. Bicknell, who is one of the largest and most conscientious breeders of this variety. The weight of the bird is from six to eight pounds, but with proper care may be increased. The flesh is said to be better than the Rouen or Aylesbury, and it has greater aptitude to fatten. Indeed, a little care is needed in the quality of the feed to prevent them from dropping down behind. They are good layers and fair mothers, for ducks, though we greatly prefer hens for hatching and raising the broods. The breed has so many good qualities, and yields so readily to treatment, that we are confident there is money in them for the faithful breeder who has a high standard and will work up to it. With a solid black plumage and a weight of eighteen pounds to the pair, the breed cannot fail to have a great demand from Europe at remunerative prices. For flavor and. delicacy of flesh there is nothing in the line of domestic water fowl quite equal to the Cayuga Duck."

     The Cayuga Ducks thrive well in a restricted range, form strong attachments to the place where bred, and are not much inclined to stray if favored with proper care. Under liberal feeding they fatten quickly, and their flesh has a game quality similar to that of wild fowl. When they have been longer cultivated, the largest being selected as breeders, they will undoubtedly attain the size of the Rouens or Aylesburys. They are prolific layers, producing about eighty eggs in the early spring, and in some cases a laying in autumn. Their bills are dark colored, some entirely black, having a black bean at the extremity, the color of legs being the same. There will be a fading out of these colors after a large number of eggs have been laid by the duck — any strong draft on the system causing this; also a lessening of luster in the plumage. Fanciers may well be encouraged to cultivate this distinctively American breed of ducks, for they are hardy and handsome. They have not received the attention which properly belongs to them in their own land.

     Among water-fowl there are none more beautiful in plumage than the

MANDARIN DUCK.

     This is sometimes called the "Fan-Winged" Duck, from the peculiar shape of a portion of the wing, which rises over the back in the shape of a lady's fan. The head has a crest falling gracefully back on the neck from the bird's head, and the colors of the body plumage are very fine and uniform in this curious variety, considered in China the prettiest of the race. Mr. Haight, an observant traveler in China, says that he found that "we in America call the ducks of China by names unlike those used by the Chinese. What we call the Pekin Duck is called by the Chinese in the north the Mandarin Duck, from the fact that they are kept in large numbers by the Mandarins at Pekin and throughout the northern provinces. What we call the Mandarin is a wild duck, large numbers of which are found in the north of China, and are called by the Chinese simply wild ducks. They perch on trees, except during the moulting season, when they rest among the leaves on the ground. They are capable of being domesticated, and numbers are sent to southern China for this purpose." It is said that they dwell in pairs mostly, and are so greatly attached to their original companions that they do not usually mate a second time if one or the other is killed. This statement, probably, is more romantic than truthful. Very few Mandarin Ducks have been brought to the United States alive, though a pair or two have reached the public park in New York and the zoölogical garden in Fairmount park, Philadelphia. In habit they are much like our American Wood (or summer) Duck — shy, timid and secretive. But they are handsome, and for variety make a very beautiful ornamental water fowl for pond or artificial lake on a gentleman's estate. As regards size, they are about that of the American Teal.

     These ducks are small in size, but none more beauti- ' ful in plumage have been found in any country. The male bird more especially exhibits beautiful colors, from September to the period of moulting; each year, that are not excelled certainly by any of the duck kind. Green, purple, chestnut,.cream color, claret, blue, white, gray, with other combinations or shades, render the plumage very attractive to the eye. He has a long crest of purple and green, with a stripe of cream color below, on the side of the head, two stripes of white across the breast and shoulders, back of which the plumage is very finely penciled, the ground color being ashy yellow. The neck is brownish red, and the back light brown. The bill is crimson, legs pink and eyes black. The duck wears a plainer dress.

WOOD DUCKS.

     The name " Carolina Ducks " has been applied to this variety, but this is not correct as indicating their particular location, for they are found in every State from Vermont to Florida. The name which we prefer has been given to them on account of the practice which they have of making their nests in the woods, generally in the hollow of some tree. They will choose a tree very near or overhanging the water, if possible, and if compelled to go some distance from water to find a suitable tree they take their young to the water one at a time, clasping them in the bill.

     The Wood Duck is the most beautiful in plumage of all the water fowl of this country. The drake has a pendant crest of green, bronze and velvet, which, with •the white bands, red color of bill, and orange red of the iris, renders the head resplendent with gay colors. The breast is chestnut color with velvet tinge, and marked with small spots of white. Besides, the back, lower part of body, wings and tail have black, white, green, purple and blue in bands, spots and shadings. The plumage of the duck is not so showy, and from June to September the drake wears a more modest dress.

     The Wood Ducks have been kept in domestication for their beauty, which increases from year to year, the colors becoming better developed and more gorgeous. They hatch a dozen or more ducklings at a time when in the wild state, but when confined are not prolific, though they may become so when long under the influence of domestication. The Wood Ducks kept at present by the zealous amateur on account of their gaudy colors will fly like hawks if not confined. Audubon says of the birds in their native state: "The Wood Duck breeds in the Middle States about the beginning of April, in Massachusetts, a month later, and in Nova Scotia or on our northern lakes seldom before the first days of June. In Louisiana and Kentucky, where I have had better opportunities of studying their habits in this respect, they generally pair about the first of March, sometimes a fortnight earlier. I never knew one of these birds to form a nest on the ground or branches of a tree. They appear at all times to prefer the hollow, broken portion of some large branch, the hole of our large woodpecker or the deserted retreat of the fox squirrel. They are much attached to their breeding places, and for three successive years I found a pair near Henderson, in Kentucky, with eggs in the beginning of April, in the abandoned nest of an Ivory-billed woodpecker. The eggs, which are from six to fifteen, according to the age of the bird, are placed on dry plants, feathers, and a scanty portion of down, which I believe is mostly plucked from the breast of the female. They are perfectly smooth, nearly elliptical, of a light color between buff and pale green, two inches in length by one and one-half in diameter."

     Among the "bantam breeds" of ducks may be mentioned the

BLACK EAST INDIAN DUCKS.

As the name indicates, the color of plumage is black throughout, yet having a greenish tinge or reflection. The drake has a bill very dark "yellowish green" in color, the duck's bill being very dark. The smaller these ducks, the better for purpose of exhibition.

THE CALL DUCK

has been bred in perfection in the United States by very few fanciers of the aquatic races. The "Call Ducks" are of two distinct varieties, and in color these "differ materially. There are the Gray and the White breeds. In size and form they are closely alike; both are much less in size than the average domestic duck. Indeed, for the show room, the smaller the "Call Ducks" the better they are esteemed. For colors, the White variety should be spotless white. The Gray is very similar in plumage to the Rouen Ducks, both male and female. They are sometimes called "Bantam Ducks," and are bred as small as possible by all who strive to win prizes with them in the exhibition room. Upon private ponds or lakes the Call Ducks of both varieties are highly ornamental, and in the breeding season they are exceedingly active among their aquatic companions. They are a handsome, sprightly water fowl, and are constantly growing in popularity among cultivators of this class of birds. The Call Ducks are much used as decoys in wild duck shooting. For this purpose they are made up of a cross between the common small "'puddle duck" and the wild Mallard. The result is a compound of the tameness of the domestic variety and the power of flight of the wild bird. The decoy is trained to fly from the hunter's feet to meet an approaching flock of wild birds and then, at the call of its master, to return luring the flock within shot. Ducks can be highly trained with much more ease than hens can be, as the former are very knowing animals.

MUSCOVY DUCKS.

     The name Muscovy is a corruption of Musk, the term referring originally to the musk-like odor of the skin, which is, however, dissipated by cooking. The Standard recognizes two varieties — the White Muscovy and the Colored Muscovy — the former pure white and the latter a "lustrous blue black, sometimes broken with white feathers." The Muscovy Duck is a native of South America, where it exists in a wild state, and is also extensively domesticated. The drake weighs ten or eleven pounds and the duck five to seven pounds, the difference in the sexes in this respect being remarkable. When this species is half or two-thirds grown they are excellent for the table. The drake possesses a quarrelsome disposition, and woe to birds of other breeds that come within his reach. The Muscovy, in a wild state, possesses good powers of flight, and even in the domesticated state is fond of making excursions upon the wing. Unlike our other breeds of domesticated ducks, this species readily perches like the common fowl.

     The feathers of the White Muscovy have the same loose appearance as in case of the colored varieties, not lapping compactly on one another, which is a disadvantage to these ducks so far as looks are concerned. The face, about the eyes, is not covered with feathers, and has a bright red color; also the base of the bill has an excrescence, quite prominent, of a bright -scarlet. Muscovy Ducks are found wild in Brazil in great numbers, and are there domesticated, those less than a year old being highly esteemed for the table. The peculiar odor of musk, which is apparent when the bird is alive, is not noticed when its flesh is cooked. They are not migratory birds, but active on the wing, and will alight on trees, often building their nests some distance from water. Males will fight with each other at the beginning of the breeding season with great persistency, tearing feathers and flesh if possible.

     Muscovy Ducks are capable of sustaining themselves for quite a time on their long and powerful wings, and are fond of taking flights about the neighborhood, but in most cases they return punctually to their home, after the manner of pigeons. As they lay fewer eggs than most other ducks, this fact, with the detestable disposition of the drakes, makes them an undesirable breed to keep. The drakes are continually fighting or "raising a row," in some instances catching an unfortunate duck of another species by the neck and holding its head under the water until drowned. The Musk Duck is domesticated to a considerable extent in this country and Europe, but not nearly so largely as in some parts of South America.

THE EIDER DUCK

is one of the sea-duck species, having, in addition to its thick, handsome plumage, a down of royal softness, as an additional protection for it and its eggs in the cold country in which it breeds. In size it seems to approach nearer the goose than the ordinary duck. Its length is over two feet, and its weight from six to seven pounds, being the heaviest in winter. It breeds and passes the summer in Labrador, commencing to make its nest the last of May, among the grasses and bushes near the water, of seaweed, twigs, and mosses, each nest containing from five to seven eggs three inches long, and of a pale, olive-green color. After the eggs are laid the female plucks from her breast a few ounces of down (the male has been known to do the same) and places it under and around the eggs, so that when, during incubation, she leaves the nest for food and exercise, the eggs are covered by the down and the warmth retained. When the young are hatched the mother leads them, or takes them in her bill, to the water, where she teaches them to dive for their food, and protects them from danger. By the early part of August, the old ducks and their broods are moving south. They are rarely seen south of New York, and are common in the winter season from Nova Scotia to Massachusetts. J When we take into consideration the fact that not only does this duck, in its wild state, nearly equal, in all essential points, our long-domesticated ones, but that it has this rare additional power of producing down, which is so highly prized for its warmth and lightness that it is worth between three and four dollars per pound, we feel that its domestication is not only desirable, but that it is a matter of sufficient importance to receive a thorough and practical trial. It is said that it has been raised in captivity, in which state it is as tame and gentle as the domestic duck, with which it readily associates. We may add that the eggs are considered a great delicacy by the fishermen, and also that the flesh is well flavored.