POINTS OF DUCKS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1687, 29 June 1904, Page 67 (Supplement)

POINTS OF DUCKS

PEKIN®.

General characteristics of either sex. Head and Neck.—Head: Large, with broad and prominent skull, rising rather abruptly from base of bill. Bill: Short, broad, and thick, slightly convex between the juncture of the head and the tip. Eye: Dark and partially shaded by heavy eye-brows. Neck: L>ng and thick, earned well forward and well arched.

Body.—Medium length and as broad a,? possible. Breast: Wide and prominent, and descending even, solid and uniform with girth to paunch. No indication of keel. Paunch: Broad and to end of tail forming a perfect half circle when standing erect. Back: Broad. Wings: Short and carried closely to thfe side. Tail. — Well Spread and carried high. The drake should have two or three curled feathers on top. Legs and Feet.—Strong and stout, set far back, causing erect carriage. Toes: Straight connected by the web. General Shape and Carriage.—Almost upright in appearance, elevated in front, eloping downward toward the rear. Size and Weight.—As large as possible. Drakes from 8 to 91bs. Ducks from 7 to Blbs Any excess over these weights to count as extx-a merit.

Plumage.—Very abundant, with plenty of long, soft, downy feathers on the thighs. Colour in Pekin Ducks.—ln both sexes, Bill: Bright orange colour, free from black marks. Eye: Dark leaden blue. Plumage: Deep, creamy white coloxir throughout. Shanks and Tots: Bright orange colour. BOTJEN DUCKS.** General characteristics of the drake. Head and Neck.—'Head: Massive and heavy. Beak: Long, wide, and flat, well set on. in a direct line with the eye. Eye: Bold and bright. Neck: Long, gracefully carried in symmetry with the body, slightly curved but not arched. Body.—Body: As wide and long as possible, deep and square in keel, with good bow in front. Breast: Broad and deep. Back: Long and broad. Wings: Large, well covered with flank and side feathers, carried in a line with body, ’ flights resting gracefully on rump. Tail. —Three inches in length, only 2 to 2£ inches visible,, composed of still featners with two or three curled feathers in centre.

Legs and Feet.—Strong and massive in bone, medium length, well set so as to balance body. Toes: Straight connected by the web. General Shape and Carriage—Great length, broad and square, deep in keel, just clear of the ground from stem to stern. Size and Weight.—As large and massive as possible. From 9 to lllbs. Plumage.—Bright and lustrous. General characteristics of duck. Head, Neck, Body.—As in the'drake. Tail: As in the drake without the curled feathers. Legs and feet: As in the drake. General shape and carriage: As in the drake. Size and weight: As large and massive as possible. From 8 to lOlbs. Plumage: Bright and lustrous, Odour in Rouen Drake.—Head and Neck.—Rich iridescent green. Beak: Bright ereen yellow, with black bean at tip. Bing: Perfectly white, and clean

cut about an inch above the shoulder, dividing green neck and claret breast, not quite encircling the neck, but leaving a 'A- email space at the back. Back and rump: Rich greenish black from, between the. shoulders and the rump. Breast: Rich claret colour, quite free from white ’ lacing on chain armour coming well be- . low and clean not running into bodycolour. Flanks and sides: A blue Frenchgrey ground very finely, but distinctly pencilled with lustrous black, quite free -from rust or white. Large coverts: Pale clear grey. Stoaall coverts: French grey, - ’ finely pencilled. Pinion coverts: Lark grey. Bars: Composed of a broad purple blue band on each side of which is a narrow bar of black, then an outer bar of white, the three! colours to be clear and distinct, making a strinking and lustrous contrast of colours. Flights: Slaty black with brown tinge, free from white. Stem: jSlame ground colour as flanks, ’■ boldly penciled close up to vent finishing in a curved line, perfectly free from white, followed by rich black feathers up' " > to tail. Tail: Slaty black, with brown, tinge. Tail coverts and curl feathers: Glossy green black. Shanks and feet: Bright brick red. Colour in Rouen Duck. —Head. —Dark chestnut brown, with a wide brownish black line from the base of the beak to the neck, two® light brown strips running from the base of the bill above the eye on either side. Beak: Bright orange ■> ground, with a black bean at the tip, also with a decided black centre mark on the

upper part which must not extend to base ■v of the bill, the side edges, or to the bean. Neck: Same colour as the head with a wide brownish line running from the shoulder up the back of the neck, and shading, to black at head. Body: Down and undercolour: Black or dark brown. Ground colour: Rich, golden or chestnut brown, even in colour throughout ..every feather, excepting wing-bars, and flights distinctly pencilled from throat and breast to flank and stem. w±m rich black or very dark brown. There should be a greenish lustre on the pencilling of the back wings and rump. The wing-bars are the same as in the drake. Flights: As in the drake. Tail: Chestnut, brown pencilled with dark greenish brown. -uegs and feet: Dull orange brown. AYLESBURY DUCKS. General charactistics of drake and duck. Head and Neck.—Head: Long and straight. Bill: Long, broad, and strong. The head and bill measures from 6 to 8 inches. Eye: Dark and full. Neck. Long, medium thickness, slightly curved. Body.—Breast: Full and deep. Keel: Very deep, quite straight and extending from just behind the leg 3 to bieast. Back: Long and broad. Wings: Strong, and' carried close to the side. Tail.—-Short, slightly elevated with two of three curled feathers in the centre ol the drake’s. Legs and Feet.—Very strong and thick iubope/well set, so as fc> evenly balance the body. Toes: Straight, connected by the web. General Shape and Carriage.—Large,

straight head and bill, well carried on fairly long neck. Body very' massive with good girths, deep and straight keel, and a full breast carried low.

Size and Weight.—The larger the better. Drake at six months’ old should weigh not less than lOlbs; a duckling not less than 91bs. The second year and afterwards the duck should equal the drake in weight, and neither should be under lllbs. Anything over ..ffese weights count extra merit.

Plumage.—Bright, glossy and smooth. Colour in Aylesbury Drake or Duck.— Bill: Pinky white. Plumage: Pure white throughout. Shanks and feet: Bright orange. ' INDIAN RUNNERS. General characteristics in both sexes. Head and Neck. —Head: Fine and comparatively flat. Bill: Strong at the base, broad and long, coming as nearly' as possible straight down from the skuil, giving it the appearance of a long wedge. Eye: Situated high in the head. Neck: As long and thin as possible from base. Body.—Body': Long and narrow, without any indication of keel. Breast: Round and full. Back: Long and narrow. Wings: Carried close. Tail.—Slightly elevated, with two or three curled feathers in that of the drake. Legs and Feet.—Legs: Set well back, causing the erect carriage 4 of body'. Toes: Straight, connected by the web. General Shape and Carriage.—Racylooking, the body, carried erect, somewhat after the form iof a penguin. Size and >Weight.—Drake 4llbs; duck 41bs. Colour in Indian Runner Ducks.—ln both sexes. Head 1 : The head should be adorned with a cap and cheek markings of fawn or grey to match body colour as near as possible; a narrow line of white divides the cap from the cheek' marks, whilst a line of white about i-fith of an inch should divide the base of the bill from the head markings. Bill: Yellow when young, gradually changing'to green in the adult bird with a black bean at tip. Neck: Pure white from the head to where the breast markings begin, about 1£ to 2 inches from .the base of the neck. Back: Fawn or grey. Wings: The shoulders and top pare of wings fawn or grey,, the flights white. Breast: Fawn or grey, evenly cut about half-way between the point of the breast-bone and the legs. Fluff: White, except an indistinct line of colour from the base of tail to the thighs. Tail? Fawn or grey. Legs and toes: Deep, bright yellow. The colour of an Indian Runner, whether fawn or grey', should be uniform throughout the whole of the surface plumage, except the tail of the drake, which is darker. The fawn or grey of the shoulders, top part of wings, and tail should be the shape of a heart pressed flat on the back.