570 . SPATULA CLYPEATA, SHOVELLER. 



appear never so careless, they are quick to catch the sound of couiiug 

 danger aud take alarm ; they are alert in an instant; the next incau- 

 tious movement, or snapping of a twig, startles them ; a chorus of 

 quacks, a splashing of feet, a whistling of wings, and the whole com- 

 pany is off. He is a good sportsman who stops them then, for the 

 stream twists about, the reeds confuse, and the birds are out of sight 

 almost as soon as seen. 



Much as elsewhere, 1 presume, the Duck hunter has to keep his wits 

 about him, and be ready to act at very short notice ; but there is double 

 uecessitT on the Verde. The only passages along the stream are Indian 

 trails, here always war paths. In retaliation for real or fancied wrongs — 

 or partly, at least, from inherent disposition — these savages spend most 

 of their time in wandering about, in hopes of plunder and murder; this, 

 too, against each other, so long as the tribes are not leagued in comnion 

 cause against a common enemy. On the day I have in mind more par- 

 ticularly, we passed a spot where lay the bodies of several Apaches ; 

 from the arrows still sticking in them we judged, afterwards, that they 

 had been killed by a stray band of Navajos. But this was not what we 

 thought most about at the time ; we were only four together, and this 

 was close by the jjlace w-e designed to spend the day in hunting and 

 fishing. Contemplation of the decaying Indians was not calculated to 

 raise our spirits ; for though, of course, we knew the danger beforehand, 

 and meant to take our chances, it was not pleasant to have the thing 

 brought up in such a way. We kept on through the caiion a little more 

 cautiously, talked a little more seriously, and concluded to look for 

 game in places where there was the least likelihood of an ambuscade. 

 1 confess that the day's sport was rather too highly spiced to be alto- 

 gether enjoyable, and suspect that others shared my uncomfortable con- 

 viction of foolhardiness. However, the day passed without further in- 

 timation of danger ; game was plenty, and the shooting good. Out of 

 the woods, and with a good bag, we were disposed, and could better 

 aftbrd, to laugh at each other's fears. 



SPATULA CLYPEATA, (Linn.) Boie. 

 Shoveller; Spoonbill Duck. 



Anas chjpcatn, Linn., Svst. Nat. i, 1766, 200. — Scopoli, Beuierk. Natur;?. 1770, 63. — Gm., 

 Svst. Nat. i, 1788, .518.— Lath , lud. Oru. ii, 1790, 856.— III., Protl. 1811, 276.— 

 Pall., Zoog. ii, 1811, 282.— Vieill., Euc. Metb. 1823, 150.— Bheiim., Eur. Vog. 

 1823, 788.— Light., Verz. 1823, 84.— Wils., Am. Oni. viii, 1814, 65, pi. 67, f. 7.— 

 Temm., Man. Orn. 1815, .544.— Bp., Obs. Wils. 1825, No. 255; Svn. 1828,382.— 

 Wagl., Isis, 1831, 531.— Sw. & Rich., F. B. A. ii, 1831, 439.— Nutt., Man. ii, 

 1834, 375.— Jen., Mau. 1835, 230.— Temm., Mau. ii, 1835, 842 ; iv, 1840, 540.— 

 Sw., Classif. B. ii. 1837, 367.— AuD., Orn. Biog. iv, 1838, 241, pi. 327; Syu. 283; 

 B. Am. vi, 1843, 293, pi. 394.— Naum., Vog. Dcutschl. xi, 1842, 747, pi. 306.— Giii., 

 B. L. 1. 1844, 317.— Di:kay, N. Y. Zool. ii, 1844, 342.— Schl.. Rev. Grit. 1844, 115; 

 Mus. Pays-Bas, 1865, 33.— Degl., Oru. Eur. ii, 1849, 423.— Lemij., Av. Cnb. 

 1850, 115.— SwiNH., P. Z. S. 1863, 324.— Wright, Ibis, 1864, 155; and of earlier 

 authors generally. 



Spatula di/peata, Boie, Isis, 1822, 564 ; 1826, 980.— Gray., List B. Br. Mus. 1844, 1.39 ; 

 Gen. of B. iii, 1849, 618; List Br. B. 1863, 197.— Woodh., Sitgr. Rep. 1853, 

 104.— Cass., Orn. U. S. N. Astr. Exp. 343.— Bd., B. N. A. 1858, 781 ; Mex. B. 

 Surv. 1859, 27.— Heerm., P. R. R. Rep. x, 1859, pt. vi, 69.— SCL., Ibis, i, 1859, 231 

 (Guatemala).— Cai5., ,J. f O. v, 228 (Cuba).— SCL., P. Z. S. 1861, 82 (.Jamaica).— 

 Coop. & Suck., N. H. Wash. Tcr. 1860, 255.— Hayd., Rep. 1862, 176.— Lawk., 

 Ann. Lye. 1860, 28.— Swinil, Ibis, 1863, 434.— Blak., Ibis, 1862, 9; 1863, 146.— 

 Ross, Cauad. Nat. 1862.— Coues, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1866, 99 (Arizona).— CouES, 

 Pr. Ess. Inst, v, 1868, 299.— Veku., ibid, iii, 1862, 158.— Dall «fc B.vnn., Tr. Chic. 

 Acad, i, 1869. 297 (Alaska).— Jekd., B. India, iii, 1864, 796.— Gundl.. Cat. Av. 

 Cub. 1866, 389.— Degl.-Gekije, Orn. Eur. 1867, 503.— Stev., U. S. Geol. Surv. 



