DIVERS—COLD-WEATHER DIVERS. 35 
lakes, rivers, deep sloughs, bays, etc., where they pack 
together and float upon the surface, their red heads 
forming quite a contrast with their white brown- 
mottled backs. They associate with redheads, scaups 
and widgeons or bald-pates, especially upon the sea- 
coasts. Their roosting grounds are in open water, 
holes in lakes or sloughs covered with lily or lotus 
pads; on sandbars of rivers and on wide open water 
surrounded by flags or brush. The principal nesting 
grounds are between 50° and 60°, although they breed 
from 45° north. 
Their flesh, after eating vallisneria or wild celery, es- 
pecially upon the Atlantic Coast, is excellent; less so 
in the interior, and still worse on the Pacific, owing to 
the lack of celery. J have known the market price 
in Boston to be as high as eighteen dollars per dozen; 
the highest price attained by any of our ducks. 
The canvas-backs are splendid divers, superior to 
the redhead, although the scaups come next if not 
equal to them; all having the ability to dive to the 
bottom and tear up the shoots and tender rootlets as 
well as the bulbs of their favorite foods. They are 
prairie birds, although they use the heavy timber, 
lakes and brushy deep ponds. Their call is a c66-66- 
ée. They are hard to kill or gather when wounded, but 
decoy easily and are frequently extremely tame. 
For nesting and food, see chart. 
They are readily distinguished from redheads by 
their beveled black bill, large feet and size. A prime 
canvas-back weighs three pounds; whilst a redhead 
weighs only about two and one-half, has a leaden- 
colored bill, not beveled, but shaped like that of a 
