venture to determine. It receives its name from the town in Buckinghamshire, where the breed has long been celebrated, and is even now most extensively reared by the cottagers there, and in adjoining localities. In carriage and shape they are very superior to the Rouen, but rather less in size, seldom exceeding 12 lbs. the living adult pair of male and female. They are distinguished by their beautiful snowy-white plumage, with some slight shadings of a lemon hue, which we have always remarked (more or less) in the plumage of most white birds: the bill should be of a fleshlike or light salmon tint, but it not unfrequently happens, even in first-rate specimens, that as the birds advance in age, the bills become stained with small patches of a dusky olive hue, detracting much from the otherwise pretty contrast the bill affords to the full white head: the legs, feet, and webs, should be of a pale orange yellow,dark stains being even more objectionable than

upon the bill. The Aylesbury duck possesses

equally beautiful plumage, and is so nearly like him, that but for her slightly inferior proportions, and more prominent belly, it would be difficult to distinguish her from the drake, more especially until the latter, arriving at full maturity, exhibits the tail feathers curled up; a mark which more extended observation than has fallen to our lot, may establish as another distinctive characteristic of it. Our portraits (Plate IX. fig. 2) are from prize

birds, belonging to Mr. J. Youell, of Great Yarmouth.

Muscovite, or Brazilian.-This variety is now generally known as the "Musk Duck," a name given to it by modern critics (who discard the old appellation of "Muscovy") on account, as they say, of the "plumage emitting the odour of musk,” or, as others with equal gravity assert, because of the musky "flavour of the flesh," both these alleged qualities existing on no better foundation than the imagination! The critics were quite correct in assuming that the old name of Muscovy Duck was erroneously applied to this variety, if taken to indicate the source whence we obtained it; but may not the name have been bestowed upon it for another purpose, for instance, to indicate the means whereby, rather than the source whence, we acquired it? Our own explanation of its original designation is this: it is most undoubtedly to the merchant adventurers who flourished during the 16th century, when the spirit of enterprise (which tended so much to extend the mercantile greatness of this kingdom) was then at its height, that we are indebted for the acquisition of many of the principal products of the New World and eastern countries; and nothing is more likely than that the great Merchant Companies by whom such novelties were introduced, were desirous of perpetuating their name by prefixing it to that of the article, thus the "Turkey Company" having