Ducks and Geese: Standard Breeds and Management — John Shaqi
Ducks and Geese: Standard Breeds and ManagementHoward, George E. (George Ellsworth)
Science
Ducks and Geese: Standard Breeds and Management
Howard, George E. (George Ellsworth)
Ducks; Geese
The standard-bred Rouen drake has a long, finely-formed head, with
rich, lustrous green plumage; bill long and broad, wider at the
extremity, of greenish-yellow color, with a black bead at the tip;
the neck is long, slender, and neatly curved, covered with the same
lustrous green plumage as the head, which is interrupted by a distinct
white ring, not quite complete behind, on the lower part of neck. The
back is long, the upper part being ashy gray, mixed with green, and
running into a rich, lustrous green on the lower part and rump; the
shoulder coverts are gray, striped with fine, wavy lines of brown. The
breast is broad and deep and purplish brown or claret color, perfectly
free from gray feathers; the claret color should extend down as far
as possible toward the legs. The body is long, deep, and broad, the
under part and sides being a beautiful gray, which grows lighter near
the vent, ending in solid black just beneath the tail. The wings are
short and carried closely and smoothly against the sides; in color the
wings are of a brownish gray, interspersed with green, and marked with
a band of rich purple, with metallic reflections of green and blue
lights, and edged with distinct white bands; the primary feathers are
of a dark, dusky brown. The tail feathers are hard and stiff, and of a
dark ashy-brown color; the outer edge in old birds is edged with white;
the curled feathers are well curled and hard. The thighs are short and
stout and of ashy-gray plumage; the shanks are short and strong, and
in color orange with brownish tinge; the toes and webs are of the same
color as the shanks.
The head of the Rouen duck, like that of the drake, is long and finely
formed, but with a deep-brown plumage and two stripes of lighter brown
extending from the beak to behind the eyes; bill, long, broad, and
somewhat flat, brownish orange in color, blotched with darker shade
upon the upper part and ending in a black beam at the tip. The neck
is neatly curved, long and slender, light brown in plumage, penciled
with a darker shade of the same color; unlike the drake, there is no
white ring on the neck. The back is long, of a light-brown color richly
marked with green; breast, full and round and of dark-brown plumage,
penciled with lighter brown; body, long, deep, and broad, the under
part and sides of plumage being grayish brown, each feather penciled
with rich dark brown to the point of the tail. The wings are short for
the size of the bird and are carried closely against the sides; the
color of the plumage is grayish brown, intermingled with green, with
bars of purple edged with white, the colors being distinct; primaries
are brown. The tail feathers are stiff and of a light-brown color,
distinctly marked with pencilings of dark greenish brown; tail coverts
are brown, penciled with the same dark brown, or greenish brown, as the
tail. The thighs are dark brown, penciled; and shanks, toes, and webs
are orange or orange brown.
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