606 



THE AMERICAN RED-HEAD. 



habitat. It breeds in various parts of the United States, and does not appear to go to the 

 extreme north, as most species do. The female is two inches shorter than her mate, and about 

 four inches less in extent of wing. It is one of the most active of its tribe, flying swiftly, and 

 diving with great power. At Egg Harbor it is seen in small numbers, where it is called Welsh 

 Drake, or German Duck. Audubon met with it all along the shore, from Eastport to Texas. 

 It is, however, more abundant in the interior, and particularly on the tributaries of the great 

 rivers. The Gadwall is not especially familiar, but is widely distributed. The Creoles of 

 Louisiana call it violon, on account of the whistling sound produced by the wings. It gener- 

 ally accompanies the widgeon and red-head. It assembles in small flocks, and feeds on small 

 fish, insects, and aquatic weeds. The Gadwall is esteemed as nearly or quite equal to the red- 

 head as food. Unlike some others, it walks with ease on land, often making incursions land- 



SHOVELLEK DUCK.- .Spatula dt/peata. 



ward, where it finds succulent grasses and weeds to feed on. Like the mallard, it often alights 

 in grain-fields and picks up the fallen grain. The male is twenty-one and three-quarter inches 

 long, and thirty-five inches in extent of wing; the female, nineteen and a quarter inches long, 

 and thirty-one inches in extent of wing. 



We now arrive at another sub-family of Ducks, termed Puligulinae. 



The Pochard Dun-bird, or Red-headed Poker, is one of the winter visitors of northern 

 European countries, appearing, as is usual with such birds, in October, and departing in the 

 spring. It is a wary and timid bird, and being an excellent diver, is often able to escape from 

 the decoys by submerging itself at the first alarm, and making its way under water to the 

 mouth of the tunnel. It is, however, possessed of little presence of mind, and, according to 

 Montagu, can be taken plentifully by a very rude kind of process. 



Tin: American Red-head (JEthyia americana), called also the American Pochard, 

 inhabits the whole of North America, particularly the eastern portion. It is a common asso- 

 ciate of tlie canvas-back, and much resembles it ; indeed, the likeness is so close, it is no doubt 

 sold very often for the latter bird. It is nearly or quite equal as an edible. It is twenty 

 inches in length, and two feet six in extent of wings. The Red-head is more often seen in the 

 Southern States than the canvas-back, though both are recorded as wintering far south. The 



