BLUE-BILL. 149 
CHAPTER XIII. 
BLUE-BILL (SCAUP-DUCK, BLACK-DUCK, BROAD-BILL. ) 
Tue Blue-bill, or Scaup-duck, is well known through- 
out the Western States. Locally it is known as the 
blue-bill, a name which explains itself; its bill being 
a light blue, and a conspicuous marking of the bird. It 
is sometimes, and not infrequently, designated as the 
“ black-head,” a name given it because of its round, 
black head. The name scaup-duck is used but little, 
if at all, inthe West, notwithstanding the fact that their 
first and best known name was “scaup-duck.” This 
hame was accorded them because of their propensity 
and fondness for scaups, or snails, and broken shells 
found along the sea-shore. On inland waters they are 
deprived to a great extent of these delicacies to aid di- 
gestion, but find a few along the shores of lakes and 
rivers.. In the We>: ~> cannot see that they suffer for 
want of these harsh substances, with which their craws 
are filled, for they substitute gravel and sand enough to 
fill any void that could be found in their stomachs. 
Their food consists of acorns, buds, wild rice, corn, 
and such other food as mallard and other ducks feed on. 
They are essentially open-water ducks, and like to sit 
in open and broad water, where they can rest in ap- 
parent security from the intrusion of prowling hunters 
along the shore. In their habits in this respect they 
are similar to canvas-back and red-head, although they 
