328 FEATHERED GAME 



chaser has no cause for complaint at the Red- 

 head's food qualities. In the waters where the 

 Red-head and canvasback are most eagerly 

 sought and where the latter has won its high 

 reputation as a dainty bit for the table their 

 diet of wild celery is in the main responsible 

 for their excellence of flesh. Let us notice that 

 the Red-head is equally as good as the canvas- 

 back in these places and on the same food, and 

 that neither one is to be preferred before some 

 of the ^' river ducks" in other localities where 

 the wild celery has been omitted from Mother 

 Nature's menu. Why should not the widgeon 

 also rank as high? From his predatory habits 

 he lives as well as either one of them in celery 

 time. 



The Red-head is eagerly hunted in all the 

 waters where it is found. It comes readily to 

 decoys and it is over these that most of them 

 are shot. They kill hard and will carry off a 

 heavy dose of lead. A wounded bird should be 

 finished at once, for a cripple is nearly always 

 lost to the gunner who permits it to get under 

 water, as the Red-head is a good swimmer and 

 expert as a diver, though falling far short of 

 the submarine performances of various ducks 



