The white Call should be clothed in feathers of pure and unsullied white; the bill, however, is not flesh colored, as that of the Ayles bury. but a bright clear un spotted yellow, any other color being regarded as dis qualifying the birds from success in a severe compe tition. Call-ducks, as their name implies, are remark able for their loud and con tinuous quacking, in a shrill, high note, which can be heard at a great distance, and which ren ders them admirable as decoy ducks to allure the wild species to their destruction. As fancy water-fowl on ornamental pieces of water, both varieties are very attractive. The Penguin duck is characterized by greater length of the femora, .or upper bones of the legs ; and of the bones of the whilst the tibiae remain unchanged. In consequence of this peculiarity of structure, the duck, in walking, is obliged to assume an erect attitude, like that of the Penguin. Beyond this /quaint peculiarity, the Penguin duck has no specialty to call for particular observation, or to distinguish it from the ordinary species, of which it is evidently only an accidental variation, per petuated by the care of mau. The colors of the Penguin duck are varied, and the bird breeds freely with any of the common varieties. The Hook-billed duck is another accidental variation which has been propagated by man. It is charac terized by the bill being turned downwards, in stead of being straight, as in the other varieties. It is a very old breed, having been described byWil loughby in his Ornithology, 1676, and also figured by Albin in his Natural History of Birds, 1734. In Holland, this variety was formerly not unfre quent, and was frequently delineated by the old Dutch masters. In color and size, the Hooked billed ducks vary considerably. The Tufted, or Crested duck is another variation which has been perpetuated and increased by the care and selection exercised by man. It is characterized
by a large tuft of feathers on the top of the skull, very like that of a Polish hen. In some cases this globular crest attains a size of three inches in diameter, and renders the birds very remark able objects. In the skulls of some specimens, that we have examined after death, we have noticed a deficiency of the bones of the forehead, their place being supplied by a cartilaginous thickening of the membranes under the base of the crest. The Pekin duck is comparatively a rare bird in the United States, having been first imported about 1871, and at present not largely disseminated. They are larger looking than the Aylesbury, but seldom weigh heavier. The cut we give will show the form and general appear ance. The following, from the American Stan dard of Excellence as revised at the last meeting of the American Poultry Association, will show the points to be regarded in exhibition birds, including drakes and ducks: and finely formed; color of plumage, white ; eyes deep leaden-blue. Bill—of medium size, deep yellow, and perfectly free from marks of any other color. Neck—rather long and large in the drake ; in the duck, of medium length; color of plumage, white or creamy-white. Breast and Body—breast, round and full ; body, very long and deep and, in adult birds, approaching the outlines of a parallelogram ; color of plumage, white or creamy-white throughout. Wings— short, and carried compactly and smoothly against the sides; color of plumage, white Tad—rather erect, the curled feathers in the drake being hard and stiff; plumage, white. Legs—thighs short and large ; color of plumage, white ; shanks, short and strong, and of a reddish-orange color; plum age, downy, and of a faint creamy-white. There are standards, both English and American, for each particular breed of ducks, for which the