511 



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 delicacy of the flesh of this bird for food is so well 

 known that any remarks here seem superfluous ; but I will 

 say that it does not greatly excel that of the Red Head, and 

 in my own opinion is not at all superior to that of the Teals 

 or Widgeon. 



The Canvas-back breeds in the most northern portions of 

 the continent. I am ignorant of its habits in the season 

 of incubation, and have but one egg in my collection to 

 describe from. This is of an ovate form, nearly oval, of a 

 pale-blue color with an olivaceous tinge, quite smooth to 

 the touch, and quite thin and brittle. Its dimensions are 

 2.54 by 1.78 inch. 



BUCEPHALA, BAIRD. 



Clangula, FLEMING, Philos. Zool. (1828). (Type Anas clangula, L.) Not of 

 1822, which has Anas glacialis for type, according to G. R. Gray. 



Bill, from feathers of forehead, about equal to the tarsus, and shorter than the 

 head ; high at the base ; lateral outlines tapering to the tip, where the nail forms 

 only the central portion, though rather large ; nostrils situated near the middle of 

 the bill; feathers of chin and forehead extending only moderately forward, a little 

 further than those of the cheeks ; tarsus rather more than half the foot ; tail moder- 

 ately long, about half the wing, and somewhat pointed ; of sixteen feathers. 



BUCEPHALA ISLANDICA. Baird. 



to 



Barrow's Golden Eye. 



Fuligula ( Clangula} Barrvwii, Nuttall. Man., II. 444. 



Fuligula clangula, Audubon. Orn. Biog., V. (1839) 105. 76., Birds Am., VI. 

 (1843). 



