274 WATER FOWL. 



North America and a doubtful straggler to the Old World; the 

 other, the Mandarin Duck, confined to China, Formosa, and 

 Japan. The Wood Duck of late years appears to be growing 

 less plentiful, the beautiful plumage of the male causing it to be 

 a desirable object for various purposes, one of which is dressing 

 artificial flies, the exquisite flank feathers being especially se- 

 lected for that purpose. 



SUBFAMILY ANATINJE. 



FRESH-WATER DUCKS. 



THIS is one of the great divisions of the family and 

 contains what may with a certain degree of propriety be 

 called the Fresh-Water Ducks, though it must not be 

 understood from that term that none of the species ever 

 go to the sea. They are readily distinguished from the 

 members of the subfamily FULIGULUSLE or Salt-Water 

 Ducks by the shape of the hind toe, those of the ANA- 

 TIN^E having that member simple or normal, the 

 FULIGULIN^: having it lobed or flat. The River or 

 Fresh-Water Ducks have moderately short necks and 

 legs, excepting Dafila and Dendrocygna, while the feet 

 are much smaller than those of the Sea Ducks. As a 

 rule they are poor divers, and procure their food mostly 

 in shallow water, by tilting the hinder part of the body 

 so that they can reach the grasses, etc., growing on the 

 bottom and pull it up with their bills. When wounded 

 they skulk, laying the head and neck flat upon the water, 

 and seek the nearest marsh for concealment. The flesh 

 of these Ducks is generally most palatable, the excep- 

 tions being those individuals that may associate and feed 

 even temporarily with the Sea Ducks, when they have 

 usually a very fishy flavor. These birds moult twice a 

 year, and the sexes are dissimilar in plumage. 



