50 



MUSEUM OF ANIMATED NATURE. 



[Ducks. 



1983.— The Canvas-back Duck 

 'Pvhmda Valisnena). In the genus Fuligula the 

 bill IS flat, broad, long, with only a slight elevation 

 at the ba»e ; the nostnis are suboval ; the feet are 

 large; the hind toe broadly lobated. Fig. 1984 re- 

 presents the beak of the Canvas-back. 



The Canvas-back duck, in many points, both of 

 form and colouring, closely approaches our well- 

 known Pochard (Fuligula ferina). but is considerably 

 superior in size. It is a species peculiar to America, 

 breeding from the 50th parallel of N. latitude to 

 the most northern limits of the fur countries. When 

 the season of incubation is over, and the winter 

 sets in, the Canvas-back in large flocks migrates 

 southwards, appearing on the coasts of the United 

 States about the middle of October. A few de- 

 scend to the Hudson and Delaware, but the great 

 body of these birds resort, according to Wilson, to 

 the numerous rivers belonging to, and in the neigh- 

 bourhood of, Chesapeake Bay, particularly the .Sus- 

 quehannah, the Patapsco, Potomac, and James 

 nvers. It is probable that they extend their migra- 

 tion to the Gulf of Mexico ; they are said to be 

 common at the mouth of the nver Neuse, near 

 Newbern. It is seldom that these birds advance 

 high up the rivers, but resort to a particular part of 

 tide water, where the long subaquatic valisnena 

 grows in immense quantities, the white tender root 

 of which furnishes them with the most acceptable 

 food. For this they dive and tear up the plants, 

 which become drilled into matted rows by the 

 wind ; the tender portions near the root of the slender 

 marine vegetables, called eel-grasses (Zostera ma- 

 rina and Ruppiamaritima), are also eagerly devoured, 

 as well as seeds and grain, which are oflen scattered 

 over the surface of the water near the coast, from 

 wrecks. Wherever their favourite vegetables 

 abound, these birds assemble, and sometimes in 

 such multitudes as to cover acres of the river; the 

 noise of their wings when they rise disturbed by the 

 gunner resembling the roar of thunder. They are 

 extremely shy, and can only be approached by 

 stratagem; yet are they the object of the sports- 

 man's unceasing persecution, for of all the duck 

 tribe, if we may believe those who ought to know, 

 none can at all compare with them in the exquisite 

 flavour of their flesh. On their first arrival along 

 the shores of the United States they are lean, biit 

 in a short time they become very tat, and then is 

 the flesh superlative. The neck of the Canvas- 

 back, in the male, is of a rich chestnut, deepening 

 into black on the upper part of the back and breast, 

 where it abruptly terminates: the rest of the back 

 is white, beautifully pencilled with fine transverse 

 wavy lines of dusl<y black ; the breast and under 

 surface are white, pencilled in the same manner, 

 but more obscurely ; quill-feathers pale slate, dusky 

 tow.irds the tips ; tail short and greyish brown. 

 Bill black, legs pale ash ; length two feet. 



In the female, the general plumage is umber 

 brown varied with rufous; the back being finely 

 undulated with greyish white. 



1985, 1986.— The Spirit-Duck 



(Oangula albeola). Male and Female. The Buffel 

 Duck of Pennant ; the Buffel s-head Duck of Catesby ; 

 the liuff'el-headed Duck of Wilson ; the Little Black- 

 and-White Duck of Edwards. 



In the genus Clangula the bill is narrow, some- 

 what elevated at the base, contracted towards the 

 tip, with the nostrils inclining to oval, and nearly in 

 the middle of the upper mandible. Though many 

 of the birds of this genus frequent the sea, the species 

 generally occur in rivers and lakes, as is the case 

 with the Golden Eye (Clangula vulgaris), which 

 breeds in the arctic circle, and visits the larger 

 rivers and lakes of our island, and the Continent 

 generally, in the winter. The same observation 

 applies to the beautiful Harlequin Duck ;C. his- 

 trionica), and to the present species, both natives of 

 America. Fig. 1987 represents the Bill of Clangula 

 albeola. 



The Spirit-duck, called Wakaisheeweesheep, Waw- 

 haisheep, and Wappano-sheep by the Cree and 

 Chippeway Indians, is common in the winter to the 

 sea-shore, lakes, and rivers of the United States, 

 where it is celebrated for its remarkable expertness 

 in diving. So suddenly does it disappear, and with 

 such address does it conceal itself, alter vanishing 

 under the water, that it has obtained the names of 

 Conjuror and Spirit-duck; magic, as it were, ap- 

 pearing in its movements. Hence it is not often 

 nit, and even if it be, and the shot does not kill it 

 outright, it instantly dives, and thus manages to 

 evade its pursuer. The food of this species consists 

 of small shell-fish, shrimps, sea-weeds, laver (Ulva 

 lactuca), &c., for which it dives in the bays along 

 the coast, and the saline marshes. Its flesh, though 

 fat, is not in much esteem. During the winter, this 

 bird is usually seen in pairs, or small companies, 

 but towards March it assembles in flocks, which 

 ^ leave for the high regions about the middle of April. 



They are said to breed about Hudson's Bay. where 

 they arrive in June; frequenting the Severn river, 

 and making their nests in hollow trees in woods ad- 

 jacent to water. The male is a very beautiful bird. 

 The forehead, region of the bill, nuchal crest, and 

 upper sides of the neck rich duck green, blending 

 with the resplendent auricula purple of the top of 

 the head and throat. Broad band from the eye to 

 the tip of the occipital crest, lower half of tlie 

 neck, the shoulders, exterior scapulars, interme- 

 diate and greater coverts, outer webs of five or 

 six secondaries, flanks, and under plumage pure 

 white. Back, long scapulars, and tertiaries velvet 

 black ; lesser coveits bordering the wing the same, 

 edged with white ; primaries and their coverts 

 brownish black. Tail-coverts blackish grey; tail 

 broccoli brown ; under tail-coverts greyish. Bill 

 bluish black. Legs yellowish. In many spring 

 specimens the under plumage is ash-grey. Length 

 about sixteen inches. 



The female, which is. considerably smaller, has 

 the head and back of a dark blackish brown ; the 

 fore-part of the back, scapulars, and tertiaries, edged 

 with yellowish brown. Fore-part of the neck, sides 

 of the breast, and flanks, blackish grey ; breast 

 and belly white, glossed with brownish orange. 

 White band on the ears and occiput much narrower 

 than in the male. The white speculum is less 

 perfect, and the whole of the lesser coverts and 

 scapulars are unspotted blackish brawn. Bill and 

 feet brownish. 



1988, 1989, 1990.— The Lono-tailkd Duck 



(Harelda glacialis). Canard i\ longue queue of the 

 French ; Eisente of the Germans ; Swallow-tailed 

 Duck of the Hudson's Bay residents ; Hwyad gynftbn 

 gwennol of the ancient British. 



In the genus Harelda the bill is very short, high 

 at the base, and arched ; the laminae are large, pro- 

 minent, and distant; nostrils oblong and neariy 

 basal. Fig. 1991 represents the Bill of Harelda 

 glacialis. 



This active duck, which emulates the Spirit-duck 

 in its wonderful aquatic evolutions is a native of 

 the dreary regions of the arctic circle, making along 

 the grassy shores a nest of herbage, which it lines 

 with fine down from its breast. The eggs are five 

 in number, and of a pale greenish grey. After the 

 season of incubation, these birds collect in vast 

 flocks, and as the cold season advances, migrate 

 southwards, but not before the polar seas are tho- 

 roughly ice-bound. It visits the shores and lakes 

 of the United States, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Ger- 

 many, and the islands and lakes of Scotland, but is 

 seldom seen on our southern shores. Its flight is 

 wonderfully rapid, but not at a great elevation, or 

 long protracted ; and its cry is loud and almost in- 

 cessant, and when uttered by congregated multi- 

 tudes resounds to a considerable distance. 



The male of this species differs considerably from 

 the female in plumage, and the livery of summer 

 differs from that of winter. 



1992. — The Racehorse, or Steamer-Duck 



{Microptenis brachypterus). Oidemia Patachoni- 

 ca, Kiui^ ; Anas brachyptera, Latham ; Racehorse 

 of Captain Cook ; Steamer-duck of Captain King. 



This extraordinary duck leads us away from the 

 Northern to the Southern hemisphere. It is a na- 

 tive of the Falkland Islands, Tiena del Fuego, and 

 Patagonia, and from the shortness of its wings is 

 incapable of flight ; while, on the other hand, they 

 aid it in skimming with extraordmary speed the sur- 

 face of the water, and also in diving to the bottom 

 of the sea. The limbs are immensely thick and 

 powerful, the neck short, and the bill stout, deep at 

 the base, but abbreviated. It is described by Cap- 

 tain Philip Parker King, R.N., in the Zoological 

 Journal. 



It was, says Captain King, at Eagle Bay, beyond 

 Cape San Isidro (Point Shut-up of Byron), in the 

 Strait of Magalhaens, that "we saw for the first 

 time that most remarkable bird the Steamer-duck. 

 Before steam-boats were in general use, this bird 

 was denominated, from its swiftness in skimncing 

 over the surface of the water, the ' racehorse,' a 

 name which occurs frequently in Cook's, Byron's, 

 and other voyages. It is a gigantic duck, the 

 largest I ever met with. It has the lobated hind 

 toe, legs placed far backwards, and other charac- 

 teristics of the oceanic ducks. The principal pecu- 

 liarity of this bird is the shortness and remarkably 

 small size of the wings, which, not having sufficient 

 power to raise the body, serve only to propel it 

 along, rather than through the water, and are used 

 like the paddles of a steam-vessel. Aided by these, 

 and its strong broad-webbed feet, it moves with 

 astonishing velocity. It would not be an exaggera- 

 tion to state its speed at from twelve to fifteen miles 

 an hour. The peculiar Corui of the wing and the 

 short rigid feathers which cover it, together with 

 the power this bird possesses of remaining a consi- 

 derable time under water, constitute it a striking 



link between the genera Anas and Aptenodytex 

 (Penguins). It has been noti'ied by many former 

 navigators. The largest we found measured foity 

 inches from the extremity of the bil to that of the 

 tail, and weighed thirteen pounds : but Captain 

 Cook mentions, in his second voyage, that the weight 

 of one was twenty-nine pounds. It is very diflicuit 

 to kill them, on account of their wariness and thick 

 coat of feathers, which is impenetrable by anything 

 smaller than swan-shot. The flavour of their flesh 

 is so strong and fishy, that at fii'st we killed them 

 solely for specimens. Five or six months, however, 

 on salt provisions taught many to think such food 

 palatable, and the seamen never lost an opportunity 

 of eating them. I have preferred these ducks to 

 salt beef, but more as a preventive against scurvy 

 than from liking their taste. I am averse to alter- 

 ing names, particularly in natural history, without 

 very good reason ; but in this case I do think the 

 name of ' steamer ' much more appropriate and de- 

 scriptive of the swift paddling motion of these birds 

 than that of ' racehorse.' I believe, too, the name 

 of 'steamer' is now generally given to it by those 

 who have visited these regions." 



Mr. Darwin, in his notice of the same bird, says 

 that it proceeds partly by swimming and partly by 

 flapping the surface of the water. "The manner is 

 something like that by which the common house- 

 duck escapes when pursued by a dog ; but I am 

 nearly sure that the steamer moves its wings alter- 

 nately, instead of both together, as in other birds. 

 These clumsy loggerheaded ducks make such a 

 noise and splashing, that the effect is exceedingly 

 curious." 



This species feeds on Crustacea and shell-fish, &c. 

 The general plumage above is lead-colour, with a 

 tinge of grey ; under parts white, speculum or 

 beauty spot of wings white ; at the bend a blunt 

 spur. Bill yellow with the nail black ; legs dusky 

 yellow. Length forty inches; of bill, three inches. 



In the 'Proceeds. Zool. Soc.,' Dec. 14, 1830, a 

 second species from the western parts of the Straits 

 of Magalhaens (Magellan), is described by Captain 

 King, under the title of Micropterus Patachonious. 

 It is inferior in size to the preceding. 



We shall now pass from the Ducks to the Geese ; 

 of which our ordinary domestic breed is deduced 

 from the Greylag f Anser palustris, Flem. ; Anser 

 cinereus, Meyer), which was formerly very abundant 

 in England, breeding in the fenny counties. We 

 have besides the Common Goose, the Chinese Goose, 

 (Anser cygno'i'des) which is larger and more swan- 

 like in its form than the preceding, having a long 

 and slender neck. It is a native of China and other 

 parts of Asia, and is said to occur in Africa. It is 

 the Oie de Guinee of Buffbn. A third goose, the 

 Canada Goose (Anser Canadensis), is not uncom- 

 mon in a state of domestication in our island, but 

 is kept rather as an ornament to ponds and sheets 

 of water, than for the sake of its flesh. In America, 

 where it is domesticated, the farmers regard it as 

 good and more profitable than the ordinary tame 

 goose of Europe. 



1993.— The Canada Goose 



{Anser Canadensis). This species, of which, as we 

 have said, there is a tame breed both in Europe and 

 America, is a native of the arctic regions of North 

 America, whence, in the autumn, vast flocks wing 

 their way southwards, spreading over Canada and 

 the United States. The autumnal flight, says Wil- 

 son, lasts from the middle of August to the middle 

 of October, when the frosts begin. No sooner 

 do they arrive in Canada and the States, than 

 the work of slaughter commences. They run the 

 gauntlet, so to speak, for many hundreds of miles, 

 through such destructive fires, that by the time they 

 have reached the shores of the middle States, their 

 numbere are not only greatly reduced, but the sur- 

 vivors have become exceedingly shy and watchful 

 The English residents at Huclson's Bay depend 

 greatly on the supply of Canada Geese for their 

 winter provision ; and it is stated that in favourable 

 years, as many as three or four thousand have been 

 killed and barrelled up; a single native, from the 

 ambush of his bough hut, will sometimes kill two 

 hundred in a day. Those which are taken when 

 the frost begins to set in are preserved in a frozen 

 state, with the feathers on, and not salted, as the 

 rest; the feathers constitute an article of commerce, 

 and are sent to England. The flesh of this species, 

 though juicy and excellent, is not equal to that of 

 the Snow goose (Anser hyperboreus), which, accord- 

 ing to Dr. Richardson, is of first-rate quality; 

 consequently thousands of this latter species are 

 killed during their southern progress, and kept in a 

 frozen state, in holes dug in the ground, and covered 

 up with earth. The same mode of preserving them 

 is practised also in Siberia. 



About the middle of April the Canada geese re- 

 turn northwards, their flight lasting till the middle 

 of May. They have been found breeding on the 

 coasts of Labrador. On the arrival of the flocks in 



