Wood-Duck 49 



Distribution. — Breeding throughout temperate North America from 

 Nova Scotia and southern British Columbia, to Cuba, Florida, south 

 Texas and southern California ; wintering in the southern portion 

 of its breeding range. 



In Colorado the Wood -Duck is distinctly a rare bird, though probably 

 a summer resident when it does occur ; but the nest has not yet been 

 taken in the State. 



It is occasionally found on the lakes round Denver, and one taken 

 at Littleton on the South Platte May 1st, 1892, is stated by Cooke to 

 be in the collection of Mr. E. J. Oslar ; Hersey reports he took a pair 

 two miles west of Barr Lake in the fall of 1889. It has also been noticed 

 by Aiken in El Paso co. ; by Rowland, Cowie and Werley in Boulder 

 CO. (Henderson) and by W. G. Smith at Loveland (Cooke). Morrison 

 states that it is common near Fort Lewis on the La Plata River, and 

 occurs up to an elevation of 9,500 feet; and though he beUeved it bred, 

 he did not find the nest. 



Habits. — The Wood- or Summer-Duck — the most 

 briUiantly coloured of all the American species — is found 

 about small lakes, weedy ponds and shady streams? 

 in close proximity to scattered woods, and is only seen 

 on large bodies of water during migration. It is not 

 shy, and often comes to farms and associates with the 

 barn-yard Ducks. Its flight is swift and graceful, and 

 its food consists of insects, seeds and leaves ; it is specially 

 fond of acorns. 



The nest is placed in a hollow tree, sometimes in the 

 hole of a Woodpecker, sometimes in a natural cavity. 

 It is often quite high up and far from water. The eggs, 

 6 to 14 in number, are ivory-white and measure 2-0 x 

 1*50. If the nest is very high up, the parents carry the 

 young birds down to the water in their beaks. 



Subfamily FULIGULIN^E. 



The Sea-Ducks have the flattened bill of the River- 

 Ducks, but are distinguished by the hind toe being 

 lobate, i.e. bearing a large membranous lobe ; the legs 

 are rather shorter and placed far back, so that though 



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