07 



as well as some others, when mortally wounded, will, sometimes, dive 

 and seize a weed to which it may be found — pi'oviding the water is not 

 too deep — firmly clinging after death. The female wood duck, shortly 

 after hatching out her young, conveys them from her high nest to the 

 ground or water, as the case may be, by seizing them with her bill. 

 When surprised and alarmed the young ones hide and remain in con- 

 cealment until the danger is over, which they are made aware of by the 

 voice of the parent bird calling them together. In the moulting season 

 the male bird loses his fine variegated tuft ; but he may still be distin- 

 guished from the female by the white and rose colours of his bill, as 

 ■well as by the well defined outlines of the rich and brilliant hues 

 peculiar to his head and sides. When caught young, this beautiful 

 duck is easily tamed, and becomes quite familiar with the person by 

 whom it is usually fed. I kept one that T had slightly wounded for 

 two years, during all of which time it remained in all the gorgeous 

 beauty of full plumage. It subsisted chiefly upon Indian corn, of which 

 it seemed very fond. The habitat of the wood duck may be said to 

 cover all parts of Canada and the United States. No one of the wild 

 fowl family is better known to sportsmen. In addition to the great 

 beauty of its plumage, its flesh is fully equal in flavour and delicacy to 

 to that of the black duck pr the mallard. The w^ood duck flies, 

 particularly down the wind, with great swiftness, and the sportsman, 

 who, under such conditions can knock over one with each barrel, going 

 at the rate of eighty miles an hour, has no reason to complain of the 

 quality of his gun, or the straightness of the eye that looks over the 

 barrels. The specific name of the wood duck is sponsa, a bride. Why 

 given it is hard to tell, unless its gorgeous plumage may be considered 

 symbolical of the spousal array of some fair one decksd out in the glory 

 of her wedding garments. Next in order comes the green winged teal, 

 so called from the large beauty spot on each wing. The green winged 

 teal [Querquedula co.rolinensis) makes its appearance in this part of 

 Canada in small numbers, early in the month of April. The male bird 

 is beautifully marked, the head being of a glossy reddish chestnut, with 

 a broad band of silky green running from the eye backwards to the 

 nape, edged above and below by a fine line of brownish white. The 

 female is destitute of this oi-namental plumage, being simply a little 



