SWIMMING BIRDS. 



o43 



hundred small fishes. In the East Indies, pelicans are 

 tamed and used by the natives in fishing, as is the cormorant 

 in China, while in early times it was in England. 



The ducks and geese (Lamellirostres) have usually broad 

 bills furnished with lamellate, teeth-like projections. The 

 feet are palmated, adapted for swimming rapidly. In the 

 mergansers the bill is narrow and more strongly toothed. 

 The eider duck (Somateria mollissima) breeds from Labra- 

 dor around northward to Scotland, plucks its down from its 

 breast, building with it a large loose warm nest under low 

 bushes on the sea-coast, where it lays three or four pale 



Fig. 465. Summer Duck. From Cones' Key. 



dull green eggs. The canvas-back (Fuligula vaUisneria) 

 feeds, as its specific name implies, on the wild celery ( Val- 

 lisneria) on the middle Atlantic coast in winter, whence it 

 derives its delicious flavor. The summer duck (Aixsponsa, 

 Fig. 465) breeds in trees. The original source of our do- 

 mestic duck is the mallard, or Anas boschas. It is known 

 to cross with various other species. Upward of fifty kinds 

 of hybrid ducks are recorded, some of which have proved 

 to be fertile (Coues). The black duck (Anas obscura) is 

 abundant on the shores of Northeastern America, and is fre- 



