CANVASS-BACKED DUCK. 43^ 



become extensively frozen, the Canvass-Backs retreat to- 

 wards the ocean, and are then seen in the shallow bays 

 which still remain open ; occasionally also frequenting the air 

 holes in the ice, and openings which are sometimes made for 

 the purpose, immediately over the beds of sea grass, to entice 

 them within gun-shot of the hut or bush fixed at a conve- 

 nient distance for commanding the hungry flocks. So urgent 

 sometimes are the Ducks for food in winter, that at one of 

 these artificial openings in the ice, in James' river, a Mr. 

 Hill, according to Wilson, accompanied by a second person, 

 picked up from one of these decoys, at three rounds each, 

 no less than 88 Canvass-Backs. The Ducks crowded to the 

 place, so that the whole open space was not only covered 

 with them, but vast numbers, waiting their turn, stood inac- 

 tive on the ice around it. 



The Canvass-Back will also eat seeds and grain as well as 

 marine grass, and seems especially fond of wheat, by which 

 they may be decoyed to particular places, after continuing 

 the bait for several days in succession. The loss of a vessel 

 loaded with this grain, near the entrance of Great Egg 

 Harbor in New Jersey, attracted vast flocks of these 

 ducks to the spot, so that not less than 240 were killed in 

 one day by the neighboring gunners, who assembled to the 

 spot in quest of these strange birds, which were after- 

 wards sold among the neighbors at the low rate of 12^ cents 

 a piece, without the feathers. These Sea-Ducks, as the 

 gimners then called them, from the direction probably in 

 which they arrived, were no other than the famous Canvass- 

 Backs, which commonly sold in the Philadelphia market at 

 from one dollar to a dollar and a half per pair, and indeed 

 sometimes much higher prices are given, when they are 

 scarce and considered indispensable. 



The Canvass-Back is about 2 feet in length, and 3 feet in alar 

 extent; and when in good order weighs 3 pounds. The bill is large, 

 37 



