﻿BIRDS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  203 
  

  

  on 
  belly, 
  black 
  on 
  neck 
  running 
  up 
  much 
  higher; 
  bill 
  bright 
  slaty 
  blue 
  with 
  

   black 
  tip; 
  feet 
  dull 
  bluish; 
  iris 
  orange 
  yellow. 
  Female 
  and 
  young: 
  Like 
  

   female 
  Canvasback 
  in 
  color 
  but 
  shape 
  of 
  head 
  and 
  bill 
  like 
  male. 
  Size 
  

   of 
  the 
  smaller 
  dimensions 
  given. 
  

  

  Length 
  20-22.5 
  inches; 
  extent 
  34; 
  wing 
  9-10; 
  tail 
  3; 
  tarsus 
  1.5; 
  middle 
  

   toe 
  and 
  claw 
  2.8; 
  bill, 
  length 
  1.9-2, 
  hight 
  at 
  base 
  .9, 
  width 
  .87; 
  weight 
  2-3 
  

   pounds. 
  

  

  Distribution 
  and 
  migration. 
  Fifteen 
  years 
  ago 
  this 
  species 
  was 
  a 
  com- 
  

   mon 
  migrant 
  on 
  the 
  Great 
  Lakes, 
  the 
  central 
  lakes 
  and 
  the 
  Hudson 
  river, 
  

   as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  Long 
  Island 
  coast. 
  It 
  is, 
  however, 
  somewhat 
  

   irregular 
  in 
  manner 
  of 
  occurrence, 
  some 
  years 
  being 
  abundant 
  on 
  the 
  Long 
  

   Island 
  coast 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  inland 
  waters, 
  and 
  in 
  other 
  seasons 
  is 
  uncommon 
  

   or 
  altogether 
  absent. 
  It 
  frequently 
  remains 
  throughout 
  the 
  winter 
  in 
  

   considerable 
  numbers 
  on 
  Long 
  Island 
  waters 
  and 
  less 
  commonly 
  on 
  the 
  

   Great 
  Lakes. 
  The 
  principal 
  breeding 
  range 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  is 
  from 
  North 
  

   Dakota 
  and 
  Manitoba 
  northwestward 
  through 
  the 
  Saskatchewan 
  region, 
  

   but 
  it 
  has 
  bred 
  as 
  far 
  east 
  as 
  the 
  St 
  Clair 
  flats. 
  Its 
  chief 
  winter 
  range 
  is 
  

   from 
  Chesapeake 
  bay 
  along 
  the 
  Atlantic 
  and 
  Gulf 
  coasts 
  to 
  Texas. 
  

   This 
  is 
  the 
  American 
  representative 
  of 
  the 
  Pochard. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  fine 
  duck 
  for 
  

   the 
  table 
  when 
  in 
  good 
  condition 
  and 
  after 
  feeding 
  on 
  wild 
  celery 
  for 
  some 
  

   time 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  second 
  even 
  to 
  the 
  Canvasback. 
  In 
  the 
  spring 
  and 
  less 
  

   commonly 
  in 
  the 
  fall, 
  the 
  male 
  utters 
  a 
  peculiar 
  qua-quaq, 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  

   time 
  throwing 
  his 
  head 
  far 
  backward 
  toward 
  his 
  tail. 
  The 
  female 
  quacks 
  

   like 
  a 
  hoarse 
  or 
  half 
  choked 
  Black 
  duck. 
  

  

  Marila 
  vallisneria 
  (Wilson) 
  

  

  (Aythya 
  vallisneria 
  on 
  plate) 
  

  

  Canvasback 
  

  

  Plate 
  1 
  6 
  

  

  Anas 
  vallisneria 
  Wilson. 
  Am. 
  Orn. 
  1814. 
  8:103 
  

  

  Fuligula 
  vallisneria 
  DeKay. 
  Zool. 
  N. 
  Y. 
  1844. 
  pt 
  2, 
  p. 
  321, 
  fig. 
  256 
  

  

  A 
  V 
  t 
  h 
  y 
  a 
  vallisneria 
  A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  ^^- 
  ^47 
  

  

  vallisne'ria, 
  "wild 
  celery," 
  the 
  favorite 
  food 
  of 
  this 
  duck 
  

  

  Description. 
  Male: 
  Head 
  and 
  neck 
  reddish 
  chestnut; 
  the 
  crown, 
  

   forefacc 
  and 
  chin 
  strongly 
  tinged 
  with 
  sooty; 
  lower 
  neck 
  and 
  foreparts 
  of 
  

  

  