CANVASS-BACK. 257 



less dainty articles of food, soon lose a great deal of that deli- 

 cacy of flavor which alone seems to be imparted to their flesh 

 by the use of this water celery. If they should be confined to 

 a different diet for any considerable time, their flesh becomes 

 sedgy, and is not much superior to many other varieties of 

 Sea-Coast Fowl. 



The fact of the fondness of the Canvass-Back for this bulbous 

 root, and the knowledge of the peculiar delicacy imparted to 

 their flesh by partaking of it, has been turned to useful account 

 by some of our intelligent agriculturists, who coop and feed the 

 common domestic Duck upon the tops and roots of the garden 

 celery for a few days previous to killing them, which plan is 

 said to much improve their flavor and altogether destroy that 

 rankness which is often observable in the Barn-Yard Duck. 

 A friend of the author, Avho has fattened Ducks in this way, 

 assures him that it was almost impossible to distinguish some 

 of them from wild ones, their flavor being so much improved. 



The Canvass-Back extends its migrations as far South as 

 Florida, and is known at New Orleans under the somewhat sin- 

 gular appellation of " Canard Cheval." They are much esteemed 

 in that city for their delicacy, but are said to be far inferior to 

 those killed on the Chesapeake. Canvass-Backs are often met 

 with in the markets of Charleston and Savannah, but they are 

 commonly very poor, dry, and at times fishy, and not as much 

 esteemed late in the season as either Mallards or Teal. We are 

 informed by a friend that these Ducks are very numerous in 

 Galveston Bay, and at times are most excellent eating. 



In the neighborhood of New Orleans the Canvass-Backs re- 

 sort to wet prairies and fresh- water ponds, where they feed upon 

 the seeds of various plants, more particularly those of the wild 

 oats and water-lily. This kind of food being somewhat analo- 

 gous to that which they partake of in the Chesapeake Bay, it is 

 not improbable that the Canvass-Backs of that particular region 

 may be but a trifle inferior to those shot on the fresh- water 

 shoals of the North, where the Yalisineria Americana flourishes 

 in such profusion. 



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