DUCKS 



'o/ 



the outstretclK'tl hand. The strangest part of 

 this is that when they fly outside the protected 

 area they heconie as shy as ever. 



Hardy. Hke all the marine Ducks, they are 

 especially late in arriving in autumn along the 

 Atlantic coast of the United States. Little is 

 seen of them till Xovemher. .\t hrst they seem 

 inclined to keep out on the open sea. and the 

 gunners get little chance at them before severe 

 cold drives them in. 



One reason for this tardiness is that, next to 

 the White-winged Scoter, the Scaup is ordinarily 

 the last Duck to breed. Thev nest in the same 



of July. As it is ten or eleven weeks before they 

 can fly, the young are not a-wing before late 

 September or early October. 



The nests are not usually built out over the 

 water like those of the Canvas-back and Red- 

 head, but either in weeds or .grass on a dry shore, 

 a little back from the water's edge, or else in a 

 hrni tussock of meadow grass, right at the 

 margin of a boggy slough, where the female 

 can slip into the water from the nest. 



I have raised the young by hand, and I'lnd them 

 especially interesting. At lirst they are rather 

 wild, great on jumping, but soon they become 



Photo^^raph L ; 



LESSER SCAtn' DUCKS 

 At Palm Beach, Florida, in March 



uf Houghton 



prairie marshes of the Northwest as do the Can- 

 vas-back and Redhead. There I have found that 

 their layings are not complete until about the 

 middle of June. The first young broods are 

 generally seen in the sloughs toward the middle 



very docile. Their soft downy suits are of rich 

 dark olive-brown color, and they erect their 

 crown-feathers somewhat under excitement, 

 which gives them quite a striking appearance. 



Herbert K. Job. 



RING-NECKED DUCK 

 Marila collaris (Donovan) 



.\. O, U. Xuniber 150 See Color Plate 17 



Other Names. — Ring-hill ; Moon-bill ; Marsh Blue- 

 bill ; Black Jack; Bunty; Rin,s;-billed Blackhead; Bas- 

 tard Broad-bill ; Ring-necked Scaup Duck ; Ring-necked 

 .Scaup; Ring-neck; Ring-billed Duck. 



General Description. — Length, 18 inches. Males 

 have head, upper parts, and breast black, and remaining 



lower parts white; females have upper parts brown, and 

 lower parts yellowish-brown and white. 



Color. — .^.DULT M.\le: Head and neck all aroimd 

 lustrous black with purple reflections ; extreme chin, 

 white; chestnut riiu/ around lower neck: fore-breast 

 and upper parts, black; speculum, bhn'sh-gray ; under 



