376 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [16:9— Dec, 1920 



considered great delicacies. They often occur in great flocks on 

 their feeding grounds. They have bills shorter and deeper at the 

 base than those of the Pond ducks. The drakes are not much 

 more brightly colored than the ducks ; in fact they are rather sober 

 colored birds. There are fifty or more species but the following 

 are the ones most commonly hunted: 



Red-head, Canvasback, Greater Scaup or Broadbill or Bluebill, 

 Golden Eye or Whistler, Buffle Head or Butter-ball, American 

 Eider, American Scoter, or Black Coot and the Ruddy Duck, 



Wild Geese 



Wild geese feed upon vegetable matter and live upon the land 

 far more than do the ducks. The sexes have similar plumage and 

 the ganders are devoted to their mates and young. There are 

 several species of wild geese in the United States : 



The White-fronted, the Greater and Lesser Snow, the Blue, 

 the Barnacle, the Canada, the Brant and the Black Brant. Of 

 these only the Canada and the Brant occur in sufficient nimibers 

 as to be familiar to hunters. 



The Shore Birds 

 Although there are many birds belonging to this Order that are 

 shot and eaten, yet the most common game shore birds are the 

 Snipe, some of the Sandpipers and the Plovers and Woodcock. 



The Gallinules or Scratchers 



Among the birds of this order are some of the most prized game 

 birds of America. They are : 



The Wild Turkey, the Ruffed Grouse, the Bob white, the Prairie 

 Chicken, and the European Pheasant. 



How TO GET TO KnOW THE GaME BiRDS 



First of all comes the recognition of the bird, and this is best 

 gained by coloring an outline which the pupil may make for him- 

 self or obtain ready for water colors. This is a very important 

 part of the work since it fixes in the mind the distinctions between 

 these seldom seen birds. A set of game birds pictures may be used 



