IUVKS. 



DUOK& 



wbiU pvte are gloMed with ferruginous. Bill and leg* blackish- 

 brown. The bill U lengthened, the depressed frontal angle longer, 

 the nostrils farther from the front, and the unguis differently shaped 

 and .mailer than in F. ferina (the Pochard) ; the upper lamina flat, 

 connate, not prominent, and confined within the margin of the 

 mandible. The bill and head of the Canvass Back approach some- 

 what to the form of the Pintail-Duck, being much lengthened, and of 

 equal breadth throughout. First quill the longest. Length, 24 inches 



The female hai the ground-colour of the upper plumage and flanks 

 liver-brown ; sides of the head, neck, and breast, ferruginous ; 

 boulders, shorter scapular*, and under plumage, edged with the 

 same. Middle of the back and wing-coverts clove-brown, finely undu- 

 lated with grayish-white. There are no undulated markings on the 

 U-rt Uric* and secondaries, and only a few on the tips of the scapulars. 

 BUI as in the male; the neck more slender. (Richardson.) 



CanraM.Back.Dnck (Fuligiita ralitneiia). 



It breeds from the 50th parallel to the most northern limit* of the 

 Fur Countries. When the work of incubation is past, flocks ol 

 Canvass- Backs pursue their course to the southward, and arrive about 

 the middle of October on the sea-coasts of the United States. The 

 Hudson, the Delaware, and the bays of North Carolina, are visited by 

 some of these flocks ; and it is stated that they are abundant in the 

 river Neuse, in the vicinity of Newbera, and probably in most of the 

 other southern waters down to the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, being 

 seen in winter in the mild climate of Mew Orleans, at which season a 

 few pairs arrive in Massachusetts Bay, near Cohaset and St. Martha's 

 Vineyard. But it in to Chesapeake Bay, its (estuaries and riven, 

 among which the Susquehanno, the Patapsco, James's River, and the 

 Potomac, may be particularly mentioned, that the great multitude ol 

 Canvass- Back-Ducks resort. (Wilson; Nuttall.) 



The Canvass-Backs associate with the Pochards, and are waited 

 upon by the Bald-Pates or Widgeons (Marten Americana), which rob 

 them in the manner already described. They are named in different 

 parts of the Union White-Backs and Sheldrakes, as well as Canvass- 

 Backs. Zottera marina and Ruppta marilima form their food, as well 

 as the fresh-water Valimeria, which last is limited in its distribution. 

 The Sea-Wrack* or Eel-Grass, as the long marine vegetables above 

 alluded to are called in America, are widely spread over the Atlantic 

 and over the mud-flats, bay", and inlets where salt or brackish wntcr 

 finds access. The Canvass-Backs dive for and generally pluck up 

 the sea-wrack, and feed only on the most tender portion near the 

 root. They are very shy birds, and most difficult to be approached. 

 Various stratagems are resorted to for getting within gunshot o 

 them ; and in severe winters artificial openings are made in the ice 

 to which the ducks crowd, and fall a sacrifice to their eagerness to 

 obtain food. That they will eat seeds and grain as well as sea-wrack 

 Ac , was proved by the loss of a vessel loaded with wheat near the 

 entrance of Great Egg Harbour, New Jersey, to which great flocks o 

 Canvasii-Backs were attracted. Upon this occasion as many as 240 

 wre killed in one day. (Wilson; Xuttill.) 



The Canvass- Back, which is lean on its first arrival in the Unitei 

 States, becomes, in November, about three pounds in weight, ami ii 

 high order for the table : there are few birds which grace the boan 

 bettor. Prince Bonaparte U eloquent in its praise : " Carne drlla 

 massima sqnisitesza, grandemente ricercata dai gostronomi. 1. 

 migliore dslle Anitre. Forse il miglior uccello d America." An 

 attempt to introduce the bird into England would, it is feared, pmv< 

 a failure ; for even if the ordinary difficulties should be got ovn . t In 

 absence of the food to which it is supposed to owe its ex<|iiii<iu 

 flavour would render the success of the experiment very doubtful. 



(Boio). -Bill narrow, elevated at the base, somowha 

 at the anterior extremity, and abort. Nostrils inclitiinj 



to oval, submesial, or rather anterior to tUu middle of tho bill. Tail 



rather long, of 16 feathers generally. 



Though many of this genus frequent the sea, the species are more 



generally met with in the fresh waters than the other Sca-1' 



Thus, Sir John Richardson remarks that C. vulyari* (Common ( !ol, Ion- 

 Eye) and C. " tit-Duck) frequent the rivers and fre.h ( 



akes throughout the Fur Countries in great numbers. They are, as 



he states, by no means shy, allowing a near approach to the sports- 

 man ; but at the flash of a gun, or even at the twang of a bow, they 

 dive so suddenly that they are seldom killed. Hence the natives 

 impute supernatural powers to them, as the appellations of ' Conjuring 

 Ducks ' and ' Spirit-Ducks ' suflBciently testify. Richardson says that 

 the manners of C. Barrovii (Richardson and Swainson), dtvnil.,-,1 in 

 ' Fauna Boreoli-Americana,' and which has hitherto been found only 

 in the valleys of the Rocky Mountains, do not differ from those of 

 the Common Golden-Eye. He speaks of C. hittrioniea as haunting 

 eddies under cascades and rapid streams, as very vigilant, taking 

 wing at once when disturbed, as rare, and as never associating, as far 

 as he saw, with any other bird. The high northern latitudes may be 

 considered generally as the localities of this genus. 



C. albedo, the Spirit-Duck, A na albeola of Lmmous. It Is the Ruffel- 

 uck of Pennant; the Buffers-Head-Duck of Ciit.-Oiy; the Little 



Duck 



Duck of 



-x 



Block and White Duck of Kdward" ; the Biiflel-Headed 

 Wilson; Wakaishee-Weesheep, Waw HaUlu-cp, mi.l 

 of the Cree and Chippeway Indians. 



The male has the forehead, region of the bill, nuchal crct-t. 

 upper sides of the neck, rich duck -green, blending with the n- - plrndfiit 

 auricula-purple of the top of the head and throat. Broaxl band from 

 the eye to the tip of the occipital crest, lower half of the nock, the 

 shoulders, exterior scapulars, intermediate and greater coverts, outer 

 webs of five or six secondaries, flanks, and under plumage to the vent, 

 pure white. Back, long scapulars, and tertiarics, velvet black ; lesser 

 coverts bordering the wing the name, edged with white ; primaries 

 and their coverts brownish black. Tail-coverts blockish-gray; tail 

 broccoli-brown. Vent and under tail-coverts grayish. Bill bluish- 

 black. Legs yellowish. In many spring specimens the under plumage 

 is ash-gray. The bill smaller in proportion than that of the common 

 Garrot, and the nostrils nearer tho base ; but othmviM' similar. Head 

 large, with the upper part of the neck clothed in velvety plumage, 

 rising into a short thick crest Wings 24 inches shorter than the 

 tail. Tail lateral feathers graduated, three middle pairs even. Length 

 16 inches ; but individuals differ in size. 



Hill of Sj.irit-Duck (Clangula albtola). 



Tho female is considerably smaller. Head and dorsal plumage 

 dark blackish-brown ; the fore part of the bock, scapulars, and ter- 

 tiaries, edged with yellowish brown. Fore port of tho neck, sides of 

 the breast, flanks, and vent-feathers, blackish-gray ; breast and belly 

 white, glossed with brownish-orange. White band on the ears and 

 ii narrower than in the male. The white speculum is 

 less perfect, and the whole of the lesser coverts and scapulars aro 

 unspotted blackish-brown. Bill and feet bn.wt.i-h Total length 

 144 inches. Young males resemble the females. (Richardson.) 



This liird is abundant in the summer on tho rivers and fresh-water 

 lakes of the Fur Countries. In autumn and winter very common in 

 tod States, sometimes on the sea-shores. Catvshy says that 

 tin? lluffel's-Head-Duck appears in Carolina during the winter only. 

 On the river Neuse, in North Carolina, they have been seen in abun- 

 dance in February. In April and May those in the south take their 

 departure northward. 



This species is a most expert diver, whether it resorts to that feat 

 M a mode of escape, or as the means of procuring the sea- wrack and 

 \ti\er (U Ira lactuca), and crustaceans and mollusks, which, at parti- 

 cular seasons of the year when it visits the sea-bays and salt marshes, 

 form its favourite food. The rapidity of it disappearance from the 

 surface, and the artful way in which it conceals itself after it has 

 vanished nndi-r water, have earned for it the appropriate name of 

 ' Spirit-Duck,' or ' Conjurer.' A bird is rarely hit, and when it is, if 



