DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS. 245 



sometimes to be in great distress, flying about in an irregular manner, 

 and for a considerable time over the same quarter, making a great 

 clamor. On these occasions should they approach the earth and 

 alight, which they sometimes do to rest and re-collect themselves, 

 the only hospitality they meet with is death and destruction from a 

 whole neighborhood already in arms for their ruin." 



There are three narrow-billed ducks that are called 

 in Eastern waters " Sawbills," or " Sheldrakes." One 

 is a buff-breasted bird, common enough in season 

 on the sea-coast; another a red-breasted bird, that 

 frequents inland waters much more than does the 

 preceding ; and the " Hooded" or " Black-and-white 

 Sawbill." These are all very handsome species and 

 of no value as food, being intolerably fishy. They 

 enter into the list of what gunners call " trash ducks," 

 and I do not wonder. 



The Sheldrakes all breed in the northern regions, 

 and in the United States are strictly migratory. Of 

 the thirty-four or five species of ducks there are 

 some few that are strictly marine, a few that never 

 seek salt water, and the rest find themselves equally 

 at home, whether along our coast, on our lakes, or 

 following the tortuous courses of our many rivers. 



In the Middle States the Mallard, Black Duck, the 

 two Teal, the Widgeon, Sprig-tail, Golden-eye, and 

 Wood-duck are all common to our inland waters, even 

 going well upland and feeding on the mill-ponds. 



Occasionally, wild ducks remain within the boun- 

 daries of the United States, but the great majority 

 go into British America and nest in the northern 

 wilderness. It is not improbable, however, that many 

 of these birds, even so recently as two centuries ago, 



