72 BiKiis OF XoKT}! Carolina 



grayish brown, feathers more or less liarrcd with wavy while lines; belly white or grajdsh white; 

 sides tlie same or grayish brown, generally marked hke back. L., 21.00; W., 9.00; Tar., 1.60; 

 B., 2.40. 



Remarks. — This spocios is sometimes mistaken for tlic Redhead, to which it bears a general 

 resemblance. Tlie males of tlie two species may \n\ distinguished (1) liy the color of the head 

 and neck, whicli is rufous in the Redhead and rufou.s-bro^\^^ in the C'anva.sl)ack; (2) by the 

 generally bhukisli chin and crown of the C'anvasback, these parts in the Redhead being colored 

 like the rest of the head; (3| by tlie difference in the markings of the liack, wing-covert«, and 

 sides; and (4) tiy the dilTerence in the size and shape of the bill, as sliown liy tiie accompanying 

 measurements. Tlie females of the two siiecies may be at once distinguished Ijy the color of 

 tlie back, wliich in tlie Canvasback is finely barred with wavy white lines, markings which do 

 not appear on the back of the female Redhead. (Chap., Birds of E. N. A.) 



Range. — North America; breeds from northern United States northward, winters from Penn- 

 sylvania to Mexico. 



Range in Xorth Carolina. — -Coastal region, mainly confined to Currituck Sound and vicinity. 



Fro. 44. CAXv.iSB.vcK (adult male). 



Few will] liirds on Uip Aiiicrican iiuirkct todiiy coininaiKl as high prices as the 

 Canvasback, and for long years to come it will i)rohahly he regarded as the standard 

 of comparison when discussion.* arise as to the relative merits of palatable ducks. 

 Of th(>ir aiitunm flight. Sanford in The Walcr Fowl Famib/ says: "The migra- 

 tion from the North is over tlie water-courses of the interior, until near the bounda- 

 ries of the United States: there some strike the Pacific shore, and a large body 

 pass over the prairies to Texas and McnIco, wintering on the larger inland bodies of 

 water and along both coasts to Cent ral .\nierica. .\nother smaller flight is over the 

 Great T.akes to the Chesapeake an<l soiitli. This is the course of those birds win- 

 tering on the Atlantic coast." 



Canvasbacks are shot almost entirely over decoys. In the sounds of North Caro- 

 lina the market-gunners usually shoot from batteries, and cold, windy days are 



