THE RUDDY DUCK. 



819 



that the birds are popularly known as Pintails, Sprig-tails, Quill-tails, 

 Spine-tails, etc., in confusion with Ihifila acuta, which owes its common 

 name not to the stitTness but to the graceful length of its caudal ap- 

 pendage. 



Besides being alwa}'s fat when in g(jod condition, the garments of 

 these birds are made extra thick so that they may spend a great deal of 

 time under water. Altho nut quite so agile as the Buttlehead at the 



Flioto by ft'. L. Dawson. 



RUDDY DUCK'S NEST, 



NEARER VIEW OF THE PRECEDING. 



moment of diving, they are excelled by no other duck in their powers of 

 endurance under water, diving rather than flying when harassed, and emerging 

 at great distances. 



A drake which I once quietly followed about in a canoe upon a Douglas 

 County lake in nesting time, seemed rather to enjoy the game, altho he 

 was more sophisticated than some. The tirst thing to obser\-e in addition 

 to his striking general beauty, chestnut plumage relieved by black and white 



