Canvas-back 53 



at least equal to the middle toe without claw ; it is straighter, and the 

 forehead does not rise up high behind it, while the nostrils reach the 

 middle of the bill ; iris red, bill blackish throughout, feet greyish-blue. 

 Length 22-0; wing 92-5; tail 27-5; cuknen 2-4; tarsus 1-7. 



The female resembles the female Redhead, but can be distinguished 

 by the back being barred with fine wavy white lines and by the longer 

 and blackish bill. 



Distribution. — Breeding from Oregon and Minnesota northwards 

 to Great Slave Lake and Alaska ; in winter eastwards to the Atlantic 

 Coast from Delaware south through the southern and western states 

 and Mexico to the City of Mexico. 



In Colorado the Canvas-back is somewhat less abundant than the 

 Redhead, but it has been met with on migration over the greater part 

 of the State, especially on the eastern side of the mountains. It 

 arrives from the south early, only a little later than the Redhead. 

 Loveland, February 10th to March 12th, are dates given by Cooke, 

 and it has been noticed in El Paso co. (Aiken), at Orchard, March 26th 

 (Warren), at Fort Lyon (Cooke), and in Boulder co. (Henderson) on 

 the eastern plains ; at Breckenridge (Carter), in the mountains and 

 at Grand Junction, February 20th, by Sullivan (Rockwell). 



Felger reports that he found it nesting at Barr Lake on June 6th 

 and July 4th, 1900, and this is confirmed by Hersey and Rockwell. 

 Aiken saw a small flock of five on a lake near Limon, May 19th, 1899, 

 which may have contemplated nesting, or were possible late migrants. 

 Cooke behoved that a few birds wintered on the plains of northern 

 Colorado, and Felger confirms this. 



Habits. — The great reputation of the Canvas-back 

 is due to the fact that in its winter home on Chesapeake 

 Bay it feeds ahnost entirely on the roots and bulbs of 

 the so-called wild celery ( Vallisneria) which grows very 

 abundantly in that estuary ; elsewhere it is no better 

 than any other Duck ; in fact the flavour of all Ducks 

 is entirely dependent on what they have been feeding on. 



The Canvas-back is generally found in large flocks 

 on considerable sheets of water, and is a strong flyer 

 and a wonderful diver ; when wounded it often escapes 

 in this manner. Owing doubtless to constant persecution, 

 it is exceedingly shy and wary. 



It resembles the Redhead in its nesting-habits, building 

 very often in shallow water among thick rushes and 



