ducks!

[eub]

Wanted: Personable employee who is good with water fowl.

The Peabody, an ornate Memphis landmark, needs a new handler to lead the world-renowned, twice-a-day duck marches to and from the hotel's lobby fountain.

The ducks live on the roof and arrive at the lobby via elevator. From there, they march to the music of John Philip Sousa along a narrow red carpet to the fountain.

One mallard and four hens do daily duty from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., swimming around eating corn kernels and having their pictures taken by tourists.

Comments

[jinian.livejournal.com]

I didn't realize "mallard" was a sex-linked term.

[dr4b]

it's not exactly -- but, male mallards and female mallards look completely different - the males are the ones most people picture as mallards, with the green heads, colored markings, etc. Females are spotted brown, with very little other color. That's about it.

[jinian.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know all that. But "One mallard and four hens" seemed to imply that the ducks were called different things based on what sex they were. I suppose the hens could be chickens.

[eub.livejournal.com]

What the OED says is that "mallard" was used both for a wild duck (Anas boscas, an old name for our A. platyrhynchos or a different species?) and for the male specifically. So the opposite of "duck", which is any duck-type fowl and also the female specifically (like "ducks and drakes").

[jinian.livejournal.com]

Hadn't thought of "ducks and drakes". Thanks.