■24 DUCK SHOOTING. 



capture by pursuing them under the water. They are 

 expert divers. 



The food of the fresh water ducks is chiefly vege- 

 table, consisting of seeds, grasses and roots, which they 

 gather from the water. That of the sea ducks is 

 largely animal, and often consists exclusively of shell- 

 fish, which they bring up from the bottom. Yet with 

 regard to the food of the two groups there is no in- 

 variable rule, and many of the sea ducks live largely 

 on vegetable matter, while the fresh water ducks do 

 not disdain any animal matter which may come in their 

 way. Both groups, with some possible exceptions, are 

 fond of grain, which they eat greedily when it is ac- 

 cessible. The far-famed canvas-back derives its de- 

 licious flavor from the vegetable food which it finds in 

 the deep, fresh or brackish waters of lakes, slow flow- 

 ing streams and estuaries, while the widgeon, which is 

 one of the typical fresh water ducks and is equally 

 toothsome, feeds only in shoal water. 



The flavor of any duck's flesh depends entirely on its 

 food, and a bird of whatever kind which is killed after 

 living for a month or two in a region where proper 

 vegetable food is to be found will prove delicious eat- 

 ing, whether it be canvas-back, redhead, widgeon, 

 black duck or broad-bill. On the other hand, a black 

 duck, redhead, broad-bill or canvas-back, which has 

 spent a month or two in the salt water, where its food 

 has been chiefly shell-fish, will be found to have a 

 strong flavor of fish. Thus the fine feathers of a can- 

 vas-back are not necessarily a guarantee that the bird 



