16 INTRODUCTION. 



the power of doing so and swimming under 

 water quite long distances when wounded and 

 pursued. Their food, then, of course, must be 

 different and their natural haunts separate from 

 those of the deej^-water varieties, which, as their 

 name indicates, dive for their food. The bodies 

 of the deep-water varieties are proportionally 

 broader, both as compared with their length and 

 depth ; the legs set farther back, and the wings 

 proportionally shorter than those of the other 

 class ; the tail feathers shorter, more stiff, and less 

 inclined to " cock up," being naturally held hori- 

 zontally or slightly drooping ; the plumage is gene- 

 rally shorter, but the feathers are more close and 

 densely filled with down ; and as a rule they will 

 be found more tenacious of life than the shoal- 

 water ducks. In the deep-water varieties, with the 

 canvas-back 1 shall treat of the red-head, blue- 

 bill or broad-bill, tufted duck, and buflle-head 

 or butter-ball. 



In the shoal-water class are the mallard, sprig- 

 tail or pintail, blue and green winged teal, wood 

 or summer duck, gadwall or gray duck, widgeon, 

 shoveller, and dusky or black duck (the last- 

 named, though not properly a Western duck, 

 being sometimes found associated with the mal- 



