Ruddy Duck 65 



Distribution. — Ranging from Labrador and British Columbia to 

 Guatemala and the West Indies, breeding chiefly towards the north 

 but also south, as far as Guatemala, Cuba and Porto Rico, and 

 wintering as far north as Maine and southern British Columbia. 



In Colorado the Ruddy Duck is a summer resident breeding in the 

 plains and also in the moimtains, probably up to about 8,000 feet, 

 though Drew says 10,000 feet. It arrives rather late for a duck — 

 at the end of March or begiruiing of April. It breeds at Loveland 

 (Smith) and Barr (Hersey & Rockwell), and near Greeley, whence 

 there are eggs in the Colorado College Museima, and probably at San 

 Luis Lakes, where it was taken by Aiken, July 11th. 



Other localities are Boulder co. (Henderson), El Paso co. (Aiken), 

 Pueblo (Beckham), Fort Lyon (Thorne), Breckenridge on migration 

 (Carter), Buena Vista (Keyser), Crested Butte and Coventry (Warren). 



Habits. — The Ruddy Duck in some ways resembles 

 the Grebes in its habits. It swims high in the water 

 with its tail erect and spread out like a fan ; it prefers 

 to escape by diving rather than by flight, and it can 

 sink silently into the water, where it uses its long tail 

 like a rudder. It feeds chiefly on roots and the slender 

 stems of water-plants growing on the bottom, which 

 it obtains by diving, and also on small moUusca. 



Smith states that their nests are difficult to find, and 

 that eggs are dropped about rather promiscuously. 

 Rockwell tells me that he has often found them in the 

 nests of other ducks ; the nests are built chiefly of flags 

 in Avater six to twelve inches deep, while a run-way of 

 roots is built up on one side. The eggs, 7 to 9 in number, 

 are remarkably large for the size of the bird ; they measure 

 about 2-45 x 1"85, and are rough, thick-shelled and 

 dirty white. Dille gives June 19th as an average date 

 for fresh eggs. Those presented to the Colorado College 

 by I. C. Hall were taken June 28th, but they were 

 slightly incubated. 



Subfamily ANSERINiE. 



The Wild Geese are distinguished from the Swans 

 by having the lores and face completely feathered, and 



