BLUE-BILL. 149 



CHAPTER XIII. 



bLTTE-BILIi (SCATJP-DTJCK, BLACK-DTJCK, BEOAD-BILL.) 



The Blue-bill, or Scaup-duck, is well known through- 

 out the Western States. Locally it is known as the 

 blue-bill, a name which explains itself; its bill being 

 a light blue, and a conspicuous marking of the bird. It 

 is sometimes, and not infrequently, designated as the 

 " black-head," a name given it because of its round, 

 black head. The name scaup-duck is used but little, 

 if at all, in the West, notwithstanding the fact that their 

 first and best known name was "scaup-duck." This 

 name was accorded them because of their propensity 

 and fondness for scaups, or snails, and broken shells 

 found along the sea-shore. On inland waters they are 

 deprived to a great extent of these delicacies to aid di- 

 gestion, but find a few along the shores of lakes and 

 rivers. In the West w? cannot see that they suffer for 

 want of these harsh substances, with which their craws 

 are filled, for they substitute gravel and sand enough to 

 fill any void that could be found in their stomachs. 

 Their food consists of acorns, buds, wild rice, corn, 

 and such other food as mallard and other ducks feed on. 

 They are essentially open-water ducks, and like to sit 

 in open and broad water, where they can rest in ap- 

 parent security from the intrusion of prowling hunters 

 along the shore. In their habits in this respect they 

 are similar to canvas-back and red-head, although they 



