266 AMEEICAN GAME BIED SHOOTING. 



an idea of their numbers wlien they are engaged in their 

 annual migratory tours from north to south and back 

 again. Portions of the country are actually thronged 

 with them at such times, so that they present the appear- 

 ance of enormous clouds of feathers. There are also a 

 greater number of sjjecies on the Western Continent than 

 in any other quarter of the globe, if I remember rightly, 

 for of the two sub-families into which the Anatidw are 

 divided, twenty-three species belong to the FuUguUncB, 

 or sea ducks, and twelve species and varieties to the An- 

 atinm, or fresh water ducks, or about forty-five in all. 

 Both these sub-families are so distinctly marked that 

 they may be readily distinguished apart, even if their 

 habits were not so difEerent. The legs of the sea ducks 

 are, in the first instance, placed farther back than they 

 are in their fresh water congeners, in order to give them 

 greater swimming power; the hind toe, instead of being 

 simple, has a small piece of skin on its lower side; the 

 body is more densely feathered; and a thick covering of 

 down protects the flesh from the chilling effects of very 

 cold water. These live principally on animal matter, 

 although some species devour both fish and vegetables; 

 they dive for their food, Avliich their fresh water kindred 

 never do; they are largely maritime in their habitat, yet 

 the majority nest near lakes and streams; and they are, 

 as a rule, much inferior in flesh to their congeners, the 

 exceptions being the red-head, broad-bill, canvas-back, 

 and a few others. 



The Anatince live on insects, slugs, grasses, seeds, wild 

 rice, and other palatable vegetation; but in searching for 

 these they never submerge the whole body, and rarely 

 little more than the head and neck. They are fond of 

 frequenting tide-waters sometimes, yet they seldom re- 

 main any length of time at sea, their favorite haunts 

 being fresh water which produces a generous supply of 

 their favorite kinds of food. They are exceedingly abun- 



