REDHEAD DUCK. 1 63 



nests often are. The eggs are almost white, and are 

 usually ten or twelve in number. 



In many of its habits the redhead resembles the 

 broad-bill or black-head. It comes up to decoys quite 

 as gently as that bird, when it has once made up its 

 mind to do so, and when about to alight the birds 

 crowd close together, and thus offer the gunner an op- 

 portunity to kill several at a time. When only wounded 

 the redhead dives and skulks well, and is not always 

 to be recovered. After diving and swimming a long 

 way under water it comes to the surface, and perhaps 

 shows only a portion of the bill, swimming off so low 

 against the wind that it is not likely to be detected. 



The flesh of the redhead is excellent, and when it 

 has been feeding on the same food, it cannot be dis- 

 tinguished from that of the canvas-back. 



The redhead is a near relative of the European 

 pochard, which it closely resembles, though easily dis- 

 tinguished on comparison. 



This species is sometimes called the red-headed 

 broad-bill, red-headed raft duck, and, oddly enough, 

 Washington canvas-back. 



