842 



DUCK. 



the. extent of its wings about thirty. Its bill is rather 

 broader than that of the wigeon, of a deep lead co- 

 lour; and with the tip black ; the tarsi are also of a red 

 colour, and the irides orange. The head and neck 

 are deep chestnut, the feathers on the top of the head 

 being considerably produced. The lower part of the 

 neck, the breast, and the upper part of the back, are 

 dusky black ; the scapulars and coverts next the body 

 greyish white, pencilled with delicate lines of black ; 

 the exterior coverts and quills are dusky brown ; the 

 belly ash-coloured and brown ; and the tail, which is 

 short, and consists of twelve feathers, is of a deep 

 grev, inclining to black. The female has the upper 

 part of the head dusky brown ; the remainder of the 

 head and part of the neck pale blackish brown ; the 

 breast brownish ash, closely margined with whitish ; 

 and the back dark ash with little or no appearance of 

 pencilling. The bill, wings, and feet, are nearly the 

 same as in the male. 



This species comes very plentifully to the oozy 

 runs and partially concealed waters of those districts 

 where ducks are caught in so great numbers ; and 

 therefore it is plentiful in the London markets, espe- 

 cially in Leadenhall, which is the grand mart for all 

 this race of birds. They are taken in decoys, but not 

 in the same kind of decoys or in the same manner as 

 the mallards, which are the game principally alluded 

 to, in noticing the structure of decoys in a former part 

 of this article. A pond is prepared for the pochards, 

 as well as for the others, and a situation is chosen 

 which shall possess in the most eminent degree the 

 three attractions of quietness, cover, and proximity to 

 the feeding grounds ; but this pond does not termi- 

 nate in pipes with tunnel nets permanently stretched 

 over them. It is technically called a flight pond, 

 because the birds are captured when they are first on 

 the wing ; and the nets, by which this is effected, are 

 so placed as that they may act to windward of the 

 birds, as ducks always fly to windward when they take 

 the wing. The net is kept ready extended on the 

 top of the reeds or other cover, upon poles, which 

 by means of a counterpoise at the bottom, can be 

 instantly erected, upon withdrawing the pins, by 

 which they are held down ; when this is done, the 

 poles rise and elevate the net to the height of about 

 thirty feet ; and this takes place just as the birds are 

 alarmed, and made to take the wing. They strike 

 against the net, are thrown off their balance, and are 

 thrown on the ground, which, all under the net, is 

 formed into little pens or traps, into which the birds 

 fall, and are unable again to take the wing. The 

 numbers caught in this way, atone skilful application 

 of the net, are often perfectly astonishing ; and they 

 tumble into the pens one over the other, till the lower 

 ones are killed, and sometimes pressed nearly flat with 

 the burden of their companions. It is mentioned that, 

 on some parts of the Essex coast, a wagon load of 

 pochards have been taken at one drop of the net. 

 This species is common to the two continents, appear- 

 ing in the temperate climates only during the winter ; 

 and resorting to the more northerly ones in the breed- 

 ing season. It is, properly speaking, a fresh water 

 duck ; but it never, in its winter haunts at least, ranges 

 to any great distance from the sea. This, however, is 

 no proof that it does not breed far inland in the 

 marshes ; because food is most abundant in those 

 marshes in the summer ; while the portions of the 

 rivers next the sea in the rich flat countries, abound 

 most in food during the winter, even in countries 



where the inland and upland pools and marshes are 

 not frozen at that season. 



CANVASS-BACK POCHARD (F. valsineria'). This is 

 an American species, very abundant in the States 

 during the season of ducks ; by far the most cele- 

 brated in that country ; and, indeed, according to 

 Wilson's account, which is very minute and circum- 

 stantial, it is the most celebrated as an article of 1'ood, 

 of all the web-footed birds. It is entirely unknown in the 

 British islands, and also, so far as we are aware, in the 

 whole of the eastern continent. It is thus described 

 by Wilson : " the canvass-back is two feet long, and 

 three feet in extent, and, when in good order, weighs 

 three pounds ; the bill is large, rising high in the 

 head, three inches in length, and one inch and three- 

 eighths thick at the base, of a glossy black ; eye very 

 small ; irides dark red ; cheeks and fore part of the 

 head and greater part of the neck, bright glossy red- 

 dish chestnut, ending in a broad space of bluck that 

 covers the upper part of the breast, and spreads round 

 to the back ; both scapulars and tertials white, faintly 

 marked with an infinite number of transverse waving 

 lines, or points, as if done with a pencil ; whole lower 

 parts of the breast, also the belly white, slightly pen- 

 cilled in the same manner, scarcely perceptible on the 

 breast, pretty thick towards the vent ; wing coverts, 

 grey, with numerous specks, blackish ; primaries and 

 secondaries, pale slate, two or three ot the latter of 

 which, nearest the body, are finely edged with deep 

 velvety black ; the former dusky at the tips ; tail 

 very short, pointed, consisting of fourteen feathers of 

 a hoary brown ; vent and tail-coverts, black ; lining 

 of the wing, white ; legs and feet, very pale ash ; the 

 latter three inches in width, a circumstance which 

 partly accounts for its great powers of swimming. 

 The female is somewhat less than the male, and 

 weighs three pounds and three-quarters ; the crown 

 is blackish brown ; breast, as far as the black extends 

 on the male, dull brown, skirted in places with pale 

 drab ; back dusky white, crossed with fine waving 

 lines ; belly of the same dull white, pencilled like the 

 back ; wings, feet, and bill, as in the male ; tail- 

 coverts, dusky ; vent, white waved with brown. 

 When they are on the shores in the eastern states of 

 America, these birds feed principally upon a succulent, 

 aquatic plant, which abounds very much in many 

 parts of the waters there. They arrive in a very lean 

 condition in October ; but as they resort only to those 

 places in which their favourite food is abundant, they 

 soon get very fat. Wilson says " They are excel- 

 lent divers, and swim with great speed and agility. 

 They sometimes assemble in such multitudes as to 

 cover several acres of the river, and when they rise 

 suddenly produce a noise resembling thunder. They 

 float about these shoals, diving and tearing up the 

 grass by the roots, which is the only part they eat. 

 They are extremely shy, and can rarely be approached, 

 unless by stratagem. When wounded in the wing, 

 they dive to such prodigious distances, and with such 

 rapidity, continuing it so perseveringly, and with such 

 cunning and active vigour, as almost always to render 

 the pursuit hopeless. From the great demand for 

 these ducks, and the high price they uniformly bring 

 in market, various modes are practised to get within 

 gun-shot of them. The most successful way is said 

 to be decoying them to the shore by means of a dog, 

 while the gunner lies closely concealed in a proper 

 situation. The dog, if properly trained, plays back- 

 wards and forwards along the margin of the water. 



