BIRDS OF THE UNITED STATES. 
293 
surprised. If taken unawares, she utters a chattering, guttural cry. The 
whole brood dive and swim off under water to the shore, and conceal 
themselves in the dense herbage. While the young are disappearing, the 
mother counterfeits lameness, and by every conceivable stratagem known 
to her, endeavors to lead the intruder away from the spot. Succeeding in 
this, she takes to wing and flies off. If apprised of the approach in sea- 
son, before the person has advanced within gun-shot distance, she swims 
away with great rapidity, her brood following after, until they have 
reached a bend in the stream. Here, out of sight of the pursuing party, 
they make for the shore, creep silently out of the water, and hide them- 
selves until the object of their dread has disappeared. The female Wood 
Duck often encroaches upon the domains of this bird, and the most 
unhappy consequences follow. 
When the young are able to provide for themselves, the male emerges 
from his solitude, and consorts with his family. Both old and- young hold 
together during the remainder of the season, and then unite with other 
small flocks to constitute the larger ones which are seen in migration in 
the month of October. Young birds, when about two-thirds grown, are in 
great demand for the table, as they are excellent eating. From their habit 
of flapping the wings on the water, when endeavoring to escape pursuit, 
they have been called “ Flappers.” It is probable that they do not attain 
their full plumage until the next spring. Nuttall says the upper plumage 
is browner than in the adult, and the white speculum and bauds on the 
tertiaries less perfect. The black and white bars on the shoulders, and 
the white strij^e behind the eye, are wanting. On the head, neck, and 
upper portions of the breast, a soiled pale-brown color prevails, which is 
edged with whitish on the last. The chin is inclined to white. The bill 
is black above, and orange below, and the crest but slightly developed. 
The adult male is black above, with two crescent-shaped spots before 
the wings, and a bar across the speculum, of the same color. The sides 
are chestnut, and striped with black, while the lower parts, speculum, 
bands on tertiaries, and crest-centre, are white. The nostrils are sub-basal, 
