270 Birds Every Child Should Know 



to "every child" as they hang by the necks 

 in butcher-shop windows, but rarely in life. 

 Enormous flocks once descended upon the 

 Chesapeake Bay region. To Virginia and 

 Maryland, therefore, hastened all the gunners 

 in the East until the canvas-back, at least, is 

 even more rare in the sportsman's paradise than 

 it is on the gourmand's plate. Every kind of 

 duck is now served up as canvas-back. Some 

 sea ducks, however, which are fish eaters, have 

 flesh too tough, rank, and oily for the table. 

 They dive for their food, often to a great depth, 

 pursuing and catching fish under water like the 

 saw-billed mergansers or shelldrakes which 

 form a distinct group. The surf scoters, or 

 black coots, so abundant off the Atlantic coast 

 in winter, dive constantly to feed on mussels, 

 clams or scallops. Naturally such athletic 

 birds are very tough. 



With the exception of the wood duck, all 

 ducks nest on the ground. Twigs, leaves and 

 grasses form the rude cradle for the eggs, and, 

 as a final touch of devotion, the mother bird 

 plucks feathers from her own soft breast for the 

 eggs to lie in. When there is any work to be 

 done the selfish, dandified drakes go off by 

 themselves, leaving the entire care of raising the 

 family to their mates. Then they moult and 

 sometimes lose so many feathers they are im- 

 able to fly. But by the time the ducklings are 



