LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN WILD FOWL, 183 



it and very good shooting may be had from such a blind. Doctor 

 Yorke (1899) writes: 



Their playgrounds are in open waters upon large lakes, or some distance from the 

 shore on the coasts, where they float about in rafts or flocks. They are easily lured 

 to shore by tolling, either by a red handkerchief raised and lowered, or by some odd 

 moving object, for they are most inquisitive birds; sometimes a dog is trained to 

 run along the shore and bark at the water's edge, the gunner lying concealed close 

 by; even after being shot at, they soon seem to forget the occurrence and gradually 

 work in again to the object which had previously attracted them. Should, however, 

 a few baldpates be mixed up with them, these soon spoil the game; being more 

 suspicious, the baldpates will keep turning and swimming back without approaching 

 within shot, drawing the redheads with them Even upon a flight, the baldpates 

 lead many flocks of redheads away out of shot by their shying away from any object 

 which they distrust and which the redheads would have unhesitatingly approached. 



Winter. — The redhead Avinters as far north as it can find open 

 water; Mr. Thomas Mcllwraith (1894) states that for — 



two seasons a flock of 100 or 150 remained in Lake Ontario all winter, about half a mile 

 from shore, opposite the village of Burlington. The birds spent most of their time 

 at one particular place, sometimes diving sometimes sitting at rest on the water, 

 and always close together, as if for greater warmth. When the weather moderated 

 in March they shifted about for a few days, and then went off to the northwest, the 

 direction taken by most waterfowl when leaving this part of Ontario in the spring 



Occasionally they linger too long in freezing lakes and some of 

 them perish, but they are usually more hardy and better able to take 

 care of themselves than the canvasbacks. Even in its winter haunts 

 on the seacoasts the redhead prefers to feed in fresh-water ponds, 

 associating with baldpates, scaup ducks, mallards, and shovellers; it 

 also frequents brackish ponds and salt-water estuaries in company 

 with the canvasbacks. It must venture out onto the ocean at times, 

 for it is known to winter in the Bahamas, occurring there in large 

 flocks. 



On the coasts of Virginia and North Carolina the redhead is abun- 

 dant in winter. I saw many large flocks in Back Bay and Currituck 

 Sound, usually flying high in the air. The practiced eye of the 

 experienced gunner can recognize them at a distance by their flight; 

 they seem, to me, to move their wings more rapidly than canvas- 

 backs; they look darker and shorter; and they fly in more irregular 

 formations and more erratically. On pleasant smooth days, especially 

 if they have been shot at in the morning, they may be seen flying 

 out to sea in large flocks to spend the day in safety ; they return 

 again toward night to the fresh-water bays to feed on the roots of 

 foxtail grass and wild celery. 



Mr. J. A. Munro (1917) says that the redhead is " the commonest 

 duck on Okanogan Lake," British Columbia — 



in winter. Late in January, when their feeding grounds at the south end of the 

 lake become frozen, they congregate in enormous flocks in the vicinity of Okanagan 

 Landing. The prevailing winds are southerly and serve to keep the shallow water 

 15749—23 13 



