DUSKY DUCK. 87 



England ; but is not enumerated among the birds of Hudson's Bay, or 

 Greenland. Its chief residence is on the seacoast, though it also makes 

 extensive excursions up the tide waters of our rivers. Like the Mallard 

 they rarely dive for food, but swim and fly with great velocity. 



The Dusky, or Black Duck, is two feet in length, and three feet two 

 inches in extent ; the bill is of a dark greenish ash, formed very much 

 like that of the Mallard, and nearly of the same length ; irides dark ; 

 upper part of the head deep dusky brown, intermixed on the fore part 

 with some small streaks of drab ; rest of the head and greater part of 

 the neck pale yellow ochre, thickly marked with small streaks of black- 

 ish brown ; lower part of the neck, and whole lower parts, deep dusky, 

 each feather edged with brownish white, and with fine seams of rusty 

 white ; upper parts the same, but rather deeper ; the outer vanes of 

 nine of the secondaries bright violet blue, forming the beauty spot, 

 which is bounded on all sides by black ; wings and tail sooty brown ; 

 tail feathers sharp pointed ; legs and feet dusky yellow ; lining of the 

 wings pure white. 



The female has more brown on her plumage ; but in other respects 

 differs little from the male, both having the beauty spot on the wing. 



Note. — Of all our Ducks this is perhaps the most sagacious and the 

 most fearful of man. In the neighborhood of Philadelphia they are 

 found in great numbers, they are notwithstanding hard to be obtained, 

 in consequence of their extreme vigilance, and their peculiar habits. 

 During the day they chiefly abandon the ma,rshes ; and float in con- 

 siderable bodies on the Delaware, taking their repose, with the usual 

 precaution of employing wakeful sentinels, to give notice of danger. 

 In the evening they resort to the muddy flats and shores, and occupy 

 themselves throughout the greater part of the night in seeking for food. 

 When searching out their feeding grounds, every individual is on the 

 alert ; and on the slightest appearance of an enemy the whole mount 

 and scatter, in such a manner, that, in a flock of a hundred, it would 

 be difficult to knock down more than two or three at one shot. Their 

 sense of smelling is uncommonly acute, and their eyesight, if we may 

 judge from their activity at night, must be better than that of most 

 species. When wounded on the water, they will immediately take to 

 the shore, if in the vicinity, and conceal themselves under the first 

 covert, so that one accustomed to this habit can have no difficulty in 

 finding them, — G. Ord. 



