THE RUDDY DUCK. 



( Eris >H a tu ra ru b id a . ) 



PEW, if any, ducks ha\'e so many 

 popular names as this species, 

 which is known as spine-tailed, 

 heavy-tailed, quill-taii coot, stiff- 

 tail, bristle-tail, sleepy-duck, sleepy 

 coot, fool-duck, deaf-duck, shot-pouch, 

 daub-duck, stubble-and-twist, booly- 

 coot, blather scoot, hickory -head, 

 greaser, paddy, noddy, paddy-whack, 

 dinkey, hard-tack, etc., according to 

 the locality or the particular individual 

 who is asked to name the species. It 

 has characteristics which justify the 

 use of an)' one or all of these names. 

 Its range is the whole of North Amer- 

 ica, which extends south to Guatemala 

 and Colombia, Cuba and other West In- 

 dian islands. Probably no North Amer- 

 ican duck has so extensive a breeding- 

 range as the present species, since it 

 breeds as far south as Guatemala, per- 

 haps even farther; as far north as Great 

 Stone Lake, York Factory, and other 

 localities in the sub-Arctic portions of 

 the continent, and from the Atlantic to 

 the Pacific. According to Professor 

 Cook it winters from southern Illinois 

 southward. This duck seems to be 

 equally fond of salt, brackish, and fresh 

 water. In the Southern states it is 

 found in great flocks. Its flight is rapid, 

 with a whirring sound, occasioned by 

 the concave form of the wings. It 

 rises from the water with considerable 



difficulty, being obliged to assist itself 

 witjj its broad webbed feet, and for that 

 purpose to run on the surface for sev- 

 eral yards. From the ground, how- 

 ever, it can spring up at once. It 

 swims with ease and grace, is expert at 

 diving, and when wounded, often es- 

 capes m this way, hiding in the grass 

 if there is any accessible. The locality 

 usually selected for a nest is some deep, 

 sluggish stream, lake, or pond, and the 

 nests are always built close to the 

 water's edge, being composed of reeds, 

 dry rushes, and grass. The structure is 

 often made so that it will float, similar 

 to a grebe's nest. It is asserted that 

 this bird prefers the abandoned nests 

 of coots for nesting purposes to those 

 constructed by itself. The eggs appear 

 large for the size of the bird; they are 

 grayish white, oval in shape, with a 

 finely granulated surface; sizes range 

 from 2.35 to 2.50 long by 1.70 to 1.80 

 broad. Audubon says that the adult 

 female in summer presents the same 

 characteristics as the male. He de- 

 scribes the male one year old as having 

 a similar white patch on the side of the 

 head; upper part of head and hind neck 

 dull blackish brown; throat and sides 

 of neck, lower part of the neck dull 

 reddish brown waved with dusky; up- 

 per parts as in the adult but of a duller 

 tint, lower parts of a grayish white. 



WINGS. 



Wings that flutter in sunny air; 

 Wings tnat dive and dip and dare; 

 Wings of the humming-bird flashing by; 

 Wings of the lark in the purple sky; 

 Wings of the eagle aloft, aloof; 

 Wings of the pigeon upon the roof; 

 Wings of the storm-bird, swift and free, 

 With wild winds sweeping across the 



sea — 

 Often and often a voice in me sings — 

 Oh for the freedom, the freedom of 



wings! 



— Mary F. Butts. 



I KNOW NOT WHY. 



I lift mine eyes against the sk>', 

 The clouds are weeping — so am 1; 

 1 lift mine eyes again on high, 

 The sun is smiling — so am I. 

 Why do I smile? Why do I weep? 

 I do not know, it lies so deep. 

 I hear the winds of autumn sigh. 

 They break my heart, they make me cry. 

 I hear the birds of lovely spring. 

 My hopes revive, I help them sing. 

 W'hy do I sing? Why do I cry? 

 It lies so deep I know not why. 



— Morris Roscnfeld. 



