53 The Water-fowl Family 



coast. The same may be said of the blue-bill 

 and the blue-winged teal. They ought to be 

 here, but as far as I can learn they are not. 



But about all the rest of the buffle-head ducks 

 besides the golden-eye are here, many of them 

 fair ducks, deficient only in size. There are 

 apparently several varieties, though most all may 

 be only variations from one or two, or possibly 

 hybrids. There is a great variation in the wid- 

 geon on this coast, much greater than I know 

 of elsewhere, and so extensive as to puzzle one 

 who is not a good naturalist. Dr. Coues says 

 there are some fifty varieties of hybrid ducks, and 

 that some of them are fertile. Whatever the 

 reason, there are some ducks here that I cannot 

 exactly name, and much better naturalists are 

 puzzled about some of them. 



But there is no ground for mistake about the 

 little ruddy duck. It is but a short time since 

 he was despised by all as too small and too tame 

 and, by many, associated with the fish-ducks. 

 Even to-day he does not count as a duck in the 

 records of some of the clubs. Yet if you can find 

 him flying over some strip of land from one pond 

 to another, he will drive at you like a base-ball 

 from the hand of the pitcher. You will then find 

 your hands quite full to hold the gun far enough 

 ahead, as with wings hazy with speed and making 

 little or no effort to avoid you one cleaves the 



