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AIX GALERICULATA.

Mandarin Duck.

Anas galericulata, Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p- 539.—Tb. Gmel. Edit

—Shaw, Mus. Lev., t. 10—Ib. Gen. Zool. ‘

p. 363.—Vieill. Gal. des Ois., tom. ii. pl. 287,

\ d’Orn., p. 635.

‘ Querquedula Sinensis, Briss. Orn., tom. vi. p. 450.—Id. 8y

Kinmodsui, Kempf. Jap., p- 129. pl. 10. fig. 3,

Yung-iang, of the Chinese.

Sarcelle de la Chine, Buff. Hist. des Ois., tom. ix. P. 276. pl. 19.—Ib. Pl. E

Chinese Teal, Lath. Gen. Syn., vol. vi. Pp. 548.—Edw. Glean., pl. 109,

Le Canard de la Chine, Cuv. Régn. Anim., tom. i. Poas .

Aix galericulata, Boie, Isis, 1828, p. ?—Q> Q oe wate a
g bee is es Gray and Mitch, Gen. of Birds, vol. iii, p. 614.—List of Birds in Coll. of

Cosmonessa galericulata, Kaup, Isis, 1829,

Dendronessa galericulata, Swains.—Anim. in Menag., p. 233.

Lampronessa galericulata, Wag). Isis, 1832.

: tom. i. p. 589.—Lath. Ind. Orn
» Vol. xii. part ii, p. |
—Temm. and Schle

» tom. ii. p. 871,
94. pl. 47.—Lath. Gen. Hist , vol. x.
g. Fauna Jap., Pp. 127.—Less. Traité

0, tom. ii. p. 478.

nl. 805, 806.

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Peruars no group of birds is so generally dis y rface
grouy g y dispersed over the surface of the globe as the great family of the

Anatide or Duck tribe; even the arctic and ¢ ctl ti , i
e 5 en the arctic and antarctic portions of the globe being tenanted by species peculiarly
adapted to those regions ; the distant islands of New South Shetland, New Zealand and Kereuelen’s Land
° ° . : Fs . Es ° / e . 5 i
having species which never approach the continents of Australia, Africa or Americ

| : a, while in the temperate
regions of both hemispheres the species are various and abundant.

| : | As might be Supposed, the members of a
family so universally dispersed present much diversity of form, and comprise numerous gener

: a, some of which
are strictly marine, others lacustrine, others adapted for a rocky r

esidence, and others again for perching on
trees, &c. In this great group of birds two species occur pre-eminent for their beauty, viz. the Aix sponsa of
North America and the “iz galericulata of China and Japan ; these two birds are so precisely alike in struc-
ture and so similar to each other in colour for a short period of the year, as to require the scrutinizing eye

 

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of a good ornithologist to determine which is the one and which is the other ; during the remainder of the

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year, the males, in obedience to a law which pervades the entire group, are dressed in a style of plumage so

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very different and so gorgeous in colouring, that they may not only dispute for the palm of beauty with each

other, but are rendered some of the most conspicuously beautiful, interesting and extraordinary objects in
the whole range of ornithology ; the Chinese bird here represented will, however, doubtless secure the pre-
ference. Both species are as proud as they are beautiful, at the same time they are extremely docile, and
4 not only display their lovely hue on the ground and while swimming, but both have a habit of perching on the
é branches of trees, and, consequently, as pets they are esteemed in the highest degree. The Mandarin Duck,
whose native habitat is China and Japan, is so highly prized there, that not only is a high price demanded
for living examples, but they are held back from Europeans with a degree of obstinacy which almost amounts
to prohibition of their import; notwithstanding which many examples of both sexes have lately been brought
to Europe, and, contrary to the assertion of Latham and others that they will not breed in this country,
have bred repeatedly in the Gardens of the Zoological Society of London, and in the Menagerie of the late
Earl of Derby ; and the like success has attended their introduction into Holland. May we not then hope,
that through the instrumentality of the Zoological Society, the lovely bird here represented may become
fully naturalized ? for although it can scarcely be serviceable as an article for the table, a more ornamental
addition to our lakes and lawns cannot be found. i
George Bennett, Esq., of Sydney, New South Wales, who has given an interesting account of this species
in his “ Wanderings in New South Wales, China, &c.,” having stated that in its native country the male bing
loses his gay plumage in May and remains until August in a dress which bears a close resemblance to that
of the female, I was anxious to ascertain if a similar change took place at thessante period in this country,
and the following is the result of my observations on the specimens in the Sonieiie Galen lt
The first egg was laid on the 2nd of May, 1851, the female began to sit on the 20th, and a ae -
hatched on the 20th of June. When the female commenced sitting the male pegan to throw o ytoawee
plumage, and by the Ist of July had become so like the female as to be scarcely a ae
however, which are only moulted once a year, were not fully peter’ until the _ ° : Be Oa a
were then beautiful green, with a narrow stripe of snow-white, for about an ae eke a ate
the bill at this period was less brilliant, and the old male, the female, and therr pve i y ecalvakive noteled
in size and colour as to render it difficult to distinguish one from the uy ee ae: - pe _ eee
plumage, both chaste and elegant. One female laid six, another seven oe ea
by one of the parent birds, the other by a common oS nh oe a e young le of these broods
to her care two days earlier than the Duck. By the beginning Cf Octo p ee nae

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