BRANCH CHORDATA; CLASS AYES: THE BIRDS 347 



The ducks, geese, and swans (Anseres). The familiar 

 wild ducks, of which there are forty species in North 

 American fresh and salt waters ; the geese, of which there 

 are sixteen species, and the three species of wild swans 

 constitute the order Anseres. The bill in these birds is 

 more or less flattened and is also lamellate, i.e. furnished 

 along each cutting-edge with a regular series of tooth-like 

 processes; the feet are webbed, and the body is heavy 

 and flattened beneath. Of the fresh- water or inland 

 ducks, the more familiar are the mallard (Anas bosc/ias\ 

 a large duck with head (male) and upper neck rich glossy 

 green; the blue-winged teal (Qucrqiiedula discors) and 

 green-winged teal (Nettion carolinense] ; the shoveller 

 (Spatula clypeata) with spoon-shaped bill; the beautiful 

 crested wood-duck (Aix sponsa}\ the expert diver, the 

 plump little ruddy duck (Erismatura rubida}^ and others. 

 Of the coastwise ducks, the canvas-back (Aythya val- 

 lisncria) is famous because of its fine flavor, while among 

 the strictly maritime ducks the eiders (Somatcria}, which 

 live in Arctic regions, are well known for their fine down. 

 Of the geese, the commonest is the well-known Canada 

 goose (Brant a canadcnsis], while the pure- white snow- 

 goose (CJien hyperbored], with black wing-feathers and 

 red bill, is not unfamiliar. The wild swans (Olor] are the 

 largest birds of the order, and are less familiar than the 

 ducks and geese. 



The ibises, herons, and bitterns (Herodiones). The 

 tall, long-necked, long-legged, wading birds, known as 

 herons and ibises, compose a small order, the Herodiones, 

 of which but few representatives are at all familiar. 

 Perhaps the most abundant species is the green heron 

 (Ardea virescens) or " fly-up-the-creek, " one of the 

 smaller members of the order. The crown, back, and 

 wings are green, the neck purplish cinnamon, and the 

 throat and fore neck white-striped. This bird is com- 



