BILLS OF REPRESENTATIVE DUCKS.

1. Ruddy duck (Erismatura rubida), from the side, from above and from below. 2. Widgeon (Mareca Americana), from below showing double pectinations. 3. Mallard (Anas boschas), from the side and from above. 4. Bufflehead (Charitonetta albeola), from the side and from above.

culata) of China, is still more remarkably adorned, though it is not perhaps any handsomer. Other well known river-ducks are the gadwalls, widgeons, shovelers, pintails, and teals, all of which are treated of in the proper places.

Of the sea-ducks, perhaps fifty or sixty species are known, widely distributed in all parts of the world, of which two dozen occur in North America, but comparatively few in the Southern Hemisphere. As a rule they are not so good eating as the river-ducks, as the flesh is so much coarser and is often rank. But there are some notable exceptions, such as the well-known canvasback (Aythya vallisneria), (q.v.), which is found in suitable localities and at the proper seasons throughout North America. Allied to these are the scaups (q.v.) and the ring-necked duck (Aythya collaris), which has a chestnut band around the black neck of the male. The 'old-squaw' (Clangula hyemalis) is a very strik ing species, which breeds in Arctic regions and winters in the United States as far south as Virginia, and also in Europe and Asia. It is easily recognized by the greatly elongated middle pair of tail-feathers. A very interesting duck, now believed to be extinct, is the Labrador duck (Camptolamus Labradorius), which formerly occurred on the North Atlantic coast as far south as Long Island. (See EXTINCT ANIMALS.) ruddy duck (Erismatura rubida) is a small ard interesting duck, about fifteen inches long, with the throat and back rufous chestnut and the breast and belly white. The most striking characteristic is the peculiar tail; the coverts are very short and the stiff and pointed tail-feathers are bare to their bases. The ruddy duck is found from northern South America northward to Hudson's Bay, and is chiefly migratory in the United States. Closely related to it is the curious masked duck (Nomonyx Dominicus) of tropical America, which is hardly more than a foot long. A very remarkable South American duck is the so-called steamer-duck (Micropterus cinereus), the adult of which has lost the power of flight

The

on account of the small size of the wings, but it is an expert swimmer. Its movements are so peculiar, however, as to suggest a side-wheel steamer, whence the name. The so-called 'treeducks' of the warmer parts of America are in reality geese, though the scientific name of the genus, Dendrocygna, literally means 'tree-swan.' See, also: BROADBILL; GOLDEN EYE; EIDER; SCOTER; MERGANSER, etc.; and other names of ducks; see, also, for the capture of ducks, DECOY and TRAPPING; and for duck-shooting as a sport, see HUNTING.

DOMESTIC DUCKS. Ten standard breeds of domestic ducks are raised in the United States: The white Pekin, white Aylesbury, colored Rouen, black Cayuga, colored Muscovy, white Muscovy, gray call, white call, black East Indian, and the crested white. Of these breeds the first six are considered profitable to raise; the two breeds of calls and the black East Indian are bantams and are bred more for the showroom; the crested white may be considered as almost purely ornamental. See Colored Plate of DUCKS.

The Pekin duck, which leads in popularity, was introduced from China since 1870. It is a distinct type. Both male and female of standardbreed specimens have a pure yellow bill, white or cream-white plumage, and lead-colored eyes. The neck of a Pekin should be gracefully 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; the breast round, full, and very prominent. The body is long and deep, and the standard for adult birds is a body approaching in outline a parallelogram. The wings are short, carried closely and smoothly against the body. The tail is erect, more so than in any other breed. The curled feathers in the tail of the drakes are hard and stiff. These ducks are very large, some reaching as high as twenty 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 egg-layers, averaging from 100 to 130 eggs each in a season.

The white Aylesbury ducks are also popular for market purposes, especially in England and the Continent of Europe. These ducks have white, soft plumage, a long wide bill of a pale flesh or pinkish color; the slender neck is long and gracefully curved, and the body is long and oval. The other breeds differ more or less from the two mentioned above and are characterized by their form, color, size, etc. The colored Rouens and Muscovys have ornamental plumage. The Muscovy drake has a crest, as do also both male and female of the crested white duck.

Duck-raising has been developed in the United States into a flourishing industry. Not many years ago the duck was considered an unprofitable fowl to raise; its flesh was never prized very highly by the masses. Ducks were raised without constraint in waterways, feeding mostly on fish and water insects. This food gave the flesh a strong fishy flavor; hence it was not particularly sought after, save by the few who were partial to that class of diet. When carefully fattened this flavor is not noticeable. Artificial incubation and brooding, combined with judicious feeding, have been instrumental in the development of the industry. The season for raising ducks is about six months in length, i.e. from February to July. The food of the duck is both animal and vegetable

men was brought to England, it was suspected to have been ingeniously fabricated. The whole length, including bill and tail, is usually from 18 to 20 inches. The body is rather long and depressed, the skin loose and thickly covered with glossy hair, among the roots of which there is a layer of soft short waterproof fur like that of a beaver. The head is small and round, with small bright eyes, and no external ears, although the internal ears are perfectly developed, and the hearing acute; and instead of the muzzle, mouth, and teeth of an ordinary quadruped, the creature is furnished with a bill like that of a duck, but broader in proportion. This incloses the long upper and lower jaws within an extremely sensitive naked skin, grayish in color, which is mostly attached to the underlying bones, but possesses

in nature. In the wild state it gathers its food, consisting of flag, grasses, small fishes, water insects, etc., from brooks and marshes. When the birds are raised in confinement this diet must, in á measure, be imitated to get the most satisfactory results. Such foods as wheat-bran, cornmeal, and beef-scrap, mixed with water to a mush, with grit and green food, constitute the most satisfactory diet. The food must be in a soft mushy state. Too much hard food, such as grain, does not agree with these birds and they cannot thrive on it. While some raisers use a small allowance of grain, others do not, and it has not been proved to be of any advantage to feed it. It has been estimated that it costs from 6 to 12 cents a pound to raise a duck for market at ten weeks of age. The cost of feed is from 4% to 5 cents a pound, and that of labor, etc., is from 4 to 8 cents a pound. It costs from $1.75 to $2.50 each to keep breeding ducks a year. When ducks are raised for breeders they are fed differently from those intended for market. They are not forced as much as are the latter, and less fattening food is given them. To raise ducks successfully, it is not at all necessary that they should have access to water, except for drinking purposes; they grow and thrive as readily without. There are successful duck farms where thousands of ducks are raised without access to water, save that which is given them as drink. It has been a matter of much dispute which is the better way. As food, ducks are much prized, their flesh having a very agreeable flavor, when properly fattened. Ducks' eggs are larger than hens' eggs, but resemble them closely in composition. They are much used as food, especially in Europe.

The species most nearly allied to the common duck is said to be the Javanese duck (Anas Javanensis), nearly allied to the mallard.

BIBLIOGRAPHY. Consult: Howard, "Ducks and Geese," in United States Department of Agriculture, Farmer's Bulletin 64 (Washington, 1897); Yorke, Our Ducks (Chicago, 1900), a history of American ducks; Hehn, Cultivated Plants and Domestic Animals (translated by Stallybrass, London, 1891). For wild ducks: Consult the authorities referred to under BIRDS, especially those books relating to northern latitudes. More special works of popular interest are Elliot, Wild Fowl of North America (New York, 1898); Morris, British Game-birds and Wild-Fowl (London, 1891); Lloyd, Game-Birds and Wild-Fowl of Sweden and Norway (London, 1867); Job, Among the Water-Fowl, descriptions and photographic illustrations of breeding habits (New York, 1902).

DUCK (Dutch dock, towel, Icel. dukr, Ger. Tuch, cloth, Goth. gadauka, table-companion). An untwilled fabric of cotton or linen, not so heavy as canvas, but used for similar purposes. (See CANVAS.) The lighter and finer grades are used for women's and children's suits.

DUCK-ANT. The local name in Jamaica for the white ant or termite. See TERMITE.

DUCKBILL, or PLATYPUS. An aquatic, egglaying mammal of the order Monotremata (q.v.), of which only one species (Ornithorhynchus paradoxus) is known. It inhabits the rivers of Australia, Papua, and Tasmania. The first descriptions of this singular quadruped were received with incredulity, and even when a stuffed speci

a flexible, lip-like border all round the mouth. and is raised into a frill-like fold round the base of the bill, which, in burrowing and searching for food in the mud, is turned back so as to protect the eyes. The nostrils are situated at the extremity of the upper mandible, so that the animal need only thrust the tip of its nose out of water in order to breathe. The lower mandible has transverse lamellæ, somewhat like the bill of a duck, and each jaw is furnished with two pairs of horny plates ('cornules'), the forward ones like sharp ridges, while those behind are broad and flattened. These serve the purpose of teeth for the adults; but true cheek-teeth are present in young animals (see Proceedings of the Royal Society of