CANVAS-BACK DUCK- 343 



cenlinels awake ready to raise an alarm on the least appearance 

 of danger. Even when feeding and diving in small parties, the 

 whole never go down at one time, but some are still left above 

 on the look out. 



When the winter sets in severely, and the river is frozen, the 

 Canvas-backs retreat to its confluence with the bay, occasionally 

 frequenting air holes in the ice, which are sometimes made for 

 the purpose, immediately above their favourite grass, to entice 

 them within gun shot of the hut or bush which is usually fixed 

 at a proper distance, and where the gunner lies concealed, ready 

 to take advantage of their distress. A Mr. Hill, who lives near 

 James' river, at a place called Herring Creek, informs me, that 

 one severe winter he and another person broke a hole in the ice 

 about twenty by forty feet, immediately over a shoal of grass, 

 and took their stand on the shore in a hut of brush, each having 

 three guns well loaded with large shot. The Ducks, which were 

 flying up and down the river in great extremity, soon crowded 

 to this place, so that the whole open space was not only covered 

 with them, but vast numbers stood on the ice around it. They 

 had three rounds firing both at once, and picked up eighty-eight 

 Canvas-backs, and might have collected more had they been 

 able to get to the extremity of the ice after the wounded ones. 

 In the severe winter of 1779-80, the grass, on the roots of which 

 these birds feed, was almost wholly destroyed in James' river. 

 In the month of January the wind continued to blow from W. 

 N. W. for twenty-one days, which caused such low tides in the 

 river that the grass froze to the ice every where, and a thaw 

 coming on suddenly, the whole was raised by the roots and 

 carried off by the fresh. The next winter a few of these Ducks 

 were seen, but they soon went away again ; and for many years 

 after, they continued to be scarce ; and even to the present day, 

 in the opinion of my informant, have never been so plenty as 

 before. 



The Canvas-back, in the rich juicy tenderness of its flesh, 

 and its delicacy and flavour, stands unrivalled by the whole of 

 its tribe in this or perhaps any other quarter of the world. Those 



