204 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



body black; back, scapulars, wing coverts and under parts grayish white 

 lightly marked with fine black vermiculations, excepting belly which is 

 mostly plain; rump, tail coverts and tail blackish; wing feathers grayish, 

 the secondaries pearly gray ; bill blackish ; feet grayish blue ; iris red. Female: 

 Upper parts grayish brown, showing traces of gray and black wavings; 

 sides of head and neck tinged with rusty or reddish brown ; throat and fore- 

 neck mostly plain grayish. Young like female. 



Length 20-24 inches; extent 34-36; wing 9; tail 3; tarstis i. 6-1. 75; 

 middle toe and claw 3; bill, length 2.25-2.5, depth at base 1.12; weight 2-3 

 pounds. 



Remarks. There is no excuse for confusing the Canvasback with the 

 Redhead as will be seen by reference to plate 16. The Canvasback drake 

 is much lighter in color of the body, the neck is a darker red and the face 

 smokv. He is also of longer build than the Redhead. The females and 

 young of the two species are more similar in coloration, and the best mark 

 is the profile of the bill and forehead, which rises gradually from the nostril 

 to the crown of the head in the Canvasback, but shows a decided "break" 

 at the feather-line in the Redhead. 



Throughout the Hudson-Champlain valley and the coastal region of 

 New York the Canvasback is a rare migrant and is not a common duck 

 in anv portion of the State. Occasionally, however, it has visited the 

 •central lakes, especially Canandaigua, Keuka, Cayuga, and Seneca, in large 

 nmnbers. The winters of 1897-98 and the three following winters were 

 remarkable for the large flocks of canvasbacks which appeared about 

 the ist of December on these waters and remained until early in March. 

 On Canandaigua lake a flock of nearly 1000 canvasbacks passed a large 

 part of the winter, and on Keuka lake flocks of 200 birds v^^ere frequently 

 seen. In February 1899 many of these ducks were killed on Canandaigua 

 lake about the air holes which remained open. Most of those killed were 

 in poor flesh and some were picked up on the ice in a starving condition. 

 During the past few vears there have been fewer canvasbacks in winter, 

 but they occur in limited numbers as regular migrants from the 1st to the 

 20th of April and from October 20th to November 15th. On Long Island 

 Mr Dutcher's Notes show it to be a rare migrant from February 14th to 

 April ()th and from October 12th to December nth. 



