WATER-FOWL 135 



severe winters out of doors. All are fairly large birds, 

 ' with long, well-developed legs. They perch freely, and lay 

 their eggs in hollow trees. The best known species are the 

 Fulvous {Dendrocygna fulva), the White-faced (D. 

 viduata) and the Red-billed or Black-bellied {D. au- 

 ^Mimnalis). 



^m In South America the writer has seen Tree Ducks perched 

 [■bon a large, dead tree in such countless numbers that at a 

 distance it appeared once more to be clothed with leaves. 

 But a closer approach caused the birds to arise in clouds, 

 as though a hurricane had again robbed the veteran of its 

 foliage. 



Of the Diving or Sea Ducks, North America boasts some 

 superb species. The Canvasback (Marila valisneria), the 

 Redhead (M, americana), the Scaup (M. marila) and the 

 Lesser Scaup (M. aiUnis) are the best known. All are 

 easily kept if treated as already described. The Redhead 

 has been bred several times; the Canvasback was success- 

 fully reared for the first time on the estate of William 

 Rockefeller in 1915, but neither Scaup has yef nested in 

 captivity in this country. 



Of the European divers, the Pochard {M, ferina), which 

 is intermediate in appearance between the Canvasback and 

 the Redhead, is the most common in captivity. The Tufted 

 Duck (M. fuligula) is much like a Scaup, but entirely 

 black above and white below, with a well-developed, pendent 

 crest. The White-eye (M. nyroca) is one of the smallest 

 of divers, rich mahogany in color, the irides of the male 

 being pure white. This bird was bred in the New York 

 Zoological Park in 191 5 for the first time in America. 



The Rosy-billed Duck (Metopiana peposaca), of south- 

 ern South America, is one of the handsomest of the divers. 

 The male is blackish above and gray and white below, in 

 I Strong contrast to which is the brilliant pink beak. The 



