Art XXVIII.—Description of Hybrid Ducks, bred from Common Duck (A. boschus) ♂ and Grey Duck (A. superciliosa) ♀.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 18, 1885, Page 134

Art XXVIII.—Description of Hybrid Ducks, bred from Common Duck (A. boschus) ♂ and Grey Duck (A. superciliosa) ♀. By Taylor White, Glengarrie, Napier. [Read before the Hawke's Bay Philosophical Institute, 1885.] About nine years ago the grey drake (A. superciliosa) was trapped in the Wakatip Lake District, and readily became tame, but was very shy with strangers. In the third spring it paired with a domestic duck (A. boschus). A brood of six hybrids were reared. No. 1. These mainly partook in type of the domestic duck, but were smaller, more plump in shape; colour, a creamy brown with darker markings, inclining to white on lower part of breast, throat, and cheek; a dark line passing through the eye, as in A. superciliosa; beak, brownish yellow; legs, dull yellow; speculum blue, outer black, margined with white, as in domestic duck. The drakes very similar to English wild duck (A. boschus), and having the curled tail-feathers; speculum, blue. Could fly fairly well, but with reluctance.

No. 2. One of these half-bred ducks mated with a grey drake (A. superciliosa), and one duck was reared, which in colour and size was almost identical with A. superciliosa, but had the speculum green, margined with white, and a slight touch of white on some of the secondary feathers of wing. Could fly strongly. No. 3. This duck, when mated with a grey drake (A. superciliosa), produced a brood in type and colour like A. superciliosa, some of which have reverted to a wild state. For several seasons the first brood have been all dark-coloured, and the second brood always includes pure white, or albinos, and white with markings of dark pencillings and rufous; speculum, green; dark-coloured bill and legs; curled tail-feathers wanting. No. 4. A drake, bred inter se, might be described as in foundation colour like A. superciliosa; slightly tinged on head with green; light colour on cheeks, dark mark through eyes; breast, rufous; speculum, green; tail, and tail coverts, inclining to black, edged with brown; two small curled feathers in tail. No. 5. This season, in a brood of six, reared by a hybrid duck, which might be easily mistaken for a coloured call duck, which was mated to A. superciliosa. The ducks were slightly larger than A. superciliosa.; foundation colour and markings similar, having a washed-out look; sides of breast forward of thigh, white grey, same as lower part of breast of A. boschus. Bill, some blackish green; legs the same. Others, bill yellow, chequered with black; legs, yellowish black; speculum, green, outer edge black, margined with white band above and below. The drake was identical in general appearance to Anas boschus: green head, white ring on front of neck, one curled tail-feather only. Colour of speculum, green, margined with white. Can fly, but are thoroughly domestic. As in the mallard, the bright colouring changes with the seasons. The hybrids lay twice in the season, but few young are reared owing to want of convenient water; and numbers are destroyed by dogs, cats, hawks, and rats. The latter are very destructive.