EUDD¥ DUCK 209 



pairs. They can often be closely approached, for they depend upon 

 diving rather than flight for safety. If plenty of tiiles are at hand 

 in which to hide, gunshots will not frighten them away from their 

 favorite haunts. Their ability to dive and hide under water or 

 beneath some floating object with only the head above water is unex- 

 celled by any other duck; in this respect they resemble the grebes. 

 When wounded, they invariably try to escape in this way, and very 

 often succeed. During the breeding season the female is said to be 

 the shyest of all the ducks and it is almost impossible to surprise her 

 on the nest. 



On the water at a distance the Ruddy looks like a floating block of 

 wood, so stockily is it built and so low does it sit in the water. It 

 rises with considerable difficulty, paddling along on the surface for 

 some distance before getting clear of the water. It flies close to the 

 surface of the Avater and its rapidly beating wings make a whirring 

 sound. When well started the speed of this duck is great, but as it 

 is slow getting under way this speed is not often evident. 



The food of the Ruddy, as reported by various observers, consists 

 of seeds, roots, plant stems and shellfish. The stomach of a bird 

 from Guadalupe, Santa Barbara County, California, was found by 

 us to contain twenty-five seeds of ditch-grass (Ruppia maritima) and 

 some green algae. Three other stomachs contained finely ground 

 vegetable materials. 



The Ruddy Duck is so small and has such strange habits that it 

 is not always considered a game bird by the sportsman. On many 

 of the gun club grounds these birds are not counted in the limits, or 

 else are killed only as a makeshift to complete the bag. Nevertheless 

 the Ruddy is very good eating unless it has subsisted on shellfish for 

 a long time. Many people do not use it for food simply because they 

 do not know how to remove the feathers, an operation which is very 

 difficult for the uninitiated. Experts dip the bird in boiling water, 

 and withdraw it almost immediately, before the grease starts ; then it 

 is wrapped in newspaper soaked in hot water. The steam loosens the 

 feathers and the bird is then easily picked (Hedderly, 1912&, pp. 

 50-51). When properly dressed the Ruddy makes an excellent table 

 bird. It is fat and has a mild flavor. "Roasted Indian fashion in 

 the fire with feathers on, its meat is juicy, tender and of delicious 

 flavor . . ." (V. Bailey, in Bailey, 1902, p. 65). 



As a mark for the gunner this species takes second rank, for it 

 is not regularly on the Mdng and is very difficult to kill on the water 

 because of its thick plumage and its expertness in diving. But as 

 the more desirable ducks become reduced in numbers there is no doubt 

 that the Ruddy will be one of the first to take a respected place in 

 the hunter's bag. 



