CANVAS-BACK DUCK. 



26a 



the body greyish white, with very fine zigzag lines of 

 a darker shade : quills and tail plain greyish white ; leg? 

 and toes ash-grey^ with the membranes darker." 



The Canvas-back Duck. 



Fuligula Valisneria, Bonap. (Fig. 41.) 



Anas Valisneria, Canvas-back Duck Wilson, viii. pi. 70. f. 3. 

 Fuligula Valesneria, Bo7iap. Synop. p. 392. North. Zool. ii 

 451. 





The estimation in which this species is held, as an 

 article of food, by our transatlantic brethren, is well 



of precision. I procured Syme's Nomenclature of Colours, for this very 

 object ; but I found that, so far from enabling me to accomplish this object, 

 I was perplexed at almost every step : and I soon discovered, that, if I 

 attempted rigorously to define every tint, I must have invented three 

 times the number of names there employed ; and, finally, should have ended 

 with making my descriptions so overburthened with new names, and new 

 combinations of terms, that nobody would have understood them. How- 

 ever desirable, therefore, such a universal standard might be, I cannot 

 but think it as chimerical as that all naturalists should adopt one uniform 

 system of classification or of nomenclature in systematic or vernacular 

 names. In describing colours, the happy art is to define them in such a 

 way as to avoid the extremes of vagueness and of minutene.-^s. I know of 

 no one, who, in my estimation, succeeded more perfectly in this, than our 

 late regretted friend, Dr. Leach. In the very useful EntoinologisVs Com- 

 pendium, by Mr. Samuelle, which was written almost uiider his eye, he has 

 givtn, under the head of Colour, the most admirable definitions of all 

 those that are usually seen in the animal world, of any that 1 have yet 

 met with ; so much so, indeed, that if I was induced to subscribe implicitly 

 to any one system of nomenclature, it would most assuredly be this : it is 

 clear, without being novel ; and precise, without being too refined ; while 

 the terms employe! can be at once understood. Us great excellence, in 

 fact, consists in defending those general terms which have long been in 

 use, and with which every one is therefore acquainted ; and in adding 

 only such others, of a very decided nature, as are really necessary. I have 

 long been in the habit of following this nomenclature myself, and I strongly 

 recommend it to others. 



s 4 



