Sea and Bay Ducks 



name from Antonio Vallisneri, an Italian naturalist, and it was 

 passed on as a specific name to the canvasback. When fattened 

 upon it a brace of these ducks often weigh twelve pounds. To 

 secure its buds and roots, the only parts they eat, they must dive 

 and remain a long time under water, only to be robbed on their 

 return many times by the bold baldpates that snatch the celery 

 from their bills the instant their heads appear above water. Sev- 

 eral duck farms have been recently established where the common 

 plebeian domestic duck is fed on celery and fattened for the 

 market. Then this vulgar bird is served up at hotels and res- 

 taurants as canvasback, at from three to five dollars a plate, and 

 no one, not even the epicure, can tell the difference. 



Exceedingly shy, wary, restless scouts, the canvasbacks are 

 decoyed within gun range only by the sportsman's subtlest wiles. 

 It is no part of the plan of this book to assist in the already rapid 

 extermination of our game birds by detailing the manifold schemes 

 devised for their capture, which when fully investigated vastly 

 increase our respect for a bird that can save its neck in passing 

 through this land of liberty. This and other diving ducks that 

 wear thick feathered chest protectors may fall to the water, 

 stunned by the sportsman's shot, but quickly revive, and escape 

 under water; while the retriever, nonplussed by their disappear- 

 ance, is blamed for his stupidity. 



One would imagine our ornithologists were writing cook- 

 books, to read their accounts of this duck whose habits have been 

 little studied beyond its feeding grounds in the United States. 

 Its life history is still incomplete, although its nesting habits are 

 supposed to be identical with those of the redhead, and its buff 

 eggs are known to have a bluish tinge. It is in death that the 

 canvasback is glorified. 



' Greater Scaup Duck 



{Aythyra marila neardica) 



Called also: AMERICAN SCAUP; BROADBILL; BLACK- 

 HEAD; BLUEBILL; RAFT DUCK; FLOCKING FOWL; 



SHUFFLER. 



(Illustration facing p. 48) 



Length — 17.50 to 20 inches. 



Male — Black on upper parts, with greenish and purplish reflec- 

 tions on head; lower back and about shoulders waved with 



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