17° WATER FOWL. 



sometimes with a buff tinge. My friend Mr. George A. 

 Boardman found a nest of this species, containing eleven 

 eggs, on the St. Croix River near Calais, Maine, and on 

 another occasion secured a brood of ducklings together 

 with the old ones. This would seem to show that the 

 Ring Neck probably breeds along the northern border of 

 the United States wherever suitable localities occur. 



This Duck is more often seen on the rivers and inland 

 lakes than on the sea-coast, although it is found every 

 winter near the borders of both the Atlantic and Pacific 

 oceans. Its flight resembles that of the Little Blue Bill 

 and is quite as swiftly performed, and its movements on 

 the wing are equally as quick as those of its relative. It 

 comes readily to decoys and is as tenacious of life and as 

 skillful in evading pursuit, when wounded, as is the Little 

 Scaup. 



The Ring Neck resembles the Little Broad Bill in 

 general appearance, but is a much handsomer bird, the 

 peculiar white marking upon the bill, and the red 

 ring, more or less distinct, around the neck, making it 

 very conspicuous. As a bird for the table it is 

 about equal to the Little Black Head, and what has 

 been already said in this respect of that species 

 is equally applicable to this one. I think it is more 

 plentiful on the waters of our Western States, espe- 

 cially those in the Valley of the Mississippi, than it is 

 anywhere in the East. On the Pacific coast it goes 

 from Mexico to northern Alaska, but is nowhere 

 very abundant. Like the Little Scaup this is a cold- 

 weather Duck, and unless everything is entirely frozen 

 up, occasionally remains in northern latitudes all winter. 



