14 PEOCEEDINGS OP THE 



where nearer in that direction, so it seems certain that the voice 

 of the Crow can be heard for two miles. On one of these occa- 

 sions the voice of a rooster also carried across the river. 



Of the ducks I can give no satisfactory account. This is be-^ 

 cause of their settled practice of keeping far from the Pennsylvania 

 shore, or because of the limitations of human vision, or both 

 combined. At the distance of a mile, a duck is a small object, and 

 at two miles approaches the invisible. So although I see some 

 thousands in the course of a season, I can rarely learn what they 

 are. Why does not some one who knows, publish a scheme by 

 which distant ducks may be identified ? During three years I 

 have known four Ducks to pass fairly close to the end of the 

 dock. Two, which came along while I was not there, appeared 

 to be American Mergansers. Another might have been a Buffle- 

 head. The fourth deserves more particular mention. There 

 was much ice in the river, more particularly over the bar below 

 the island and along the Jersey shore. Perhaps for this reason, 

 a Duck came in from mid-river and settled on the water, close to 

 the shore, and not more than three hundred yards from my look- 

 out. The crown was dark. Just below that on the side of the face 

 and neck was a large light spot. These marks showed it to be 

 a Ruddy Duck. I at once looked to see if its tail was pointed 

 skyward and found that it was not. The bird dived frequently, 

 doubtless in search of food in the shallow water. After some 

 time it drifted away with the tide, without diving. Its tail then 

 appeared to be held up, as I expected it to be at first. This sug- 

 gested that perhaps the Ruddy Duck makes some special Use of 

 its stiff tail while under water, and when not expecting to dive, 

 lifts it carefully out of the way. If this is not the reason, why 

 does this duck have a stiff tail ? 



Throughout the winter ducks of whatever kind they are, may 

 be seen in flocks of 10 to 80, passing either up or down, or 

 resting on the water over the bar or near the Jersey shore. 

 They never seem to dive. I suspect that they are chiefly Black 

 Ducks and Pintails. Occasionally, and without notice, the ducks 

 have a moving day. On one such day there passed up-river 

 during an hour, 20 flocks, estimated to contain 1035 birds. 

 There also passed down 5 flocks, containing 108 birds. This 



