128 The Water-fowl Family 



silent. They dive and skulk with a skill that 

 saves many a wounded bird. The similarity in 

 size and marking of the red-head to the canvas- 

 back has made it possible to substitute it for 

 the latter. The bill always distinguishes the birds, 

 being broad and flat in the red-head and long and 

 thin in the canvas-back. 



This species is also known as the raft-duck and 

 pochard. 



CANVAS-BACK 

 (Aytaya vallisnerid) 



Adult male — Top of head and feathers at the base of bill, black ; 

 rest of head and neck, brownish red ; upper part of back, chest, 

 and upper and under tail-coverts, black ; wing-coverts, gray, ver- 

 miculated with white ; speculum, gray ; tips vermiculated with 

 white, and inner feathers edged externally with black ; rest of 

 plumage, white, finely undulated on the back with black ; bill, 

 narrow, widening slightly toward the end and longer than the 

 head, black in color; tail, black; iris, red; legs and feet, slate. 



Measurements — Length, 20 inches ; wing, 9.10 inches ; culmen, 2.40 

 inches ; tarsus, 1 .70 inches. 



Adult female — Head, neck, and upper part of back, brown, rest of 

 back, darker ; tips of the feathers undulated with white ; under 

 parts, white ; speculum, gray tipped with white, inner feathers 

 edged with black on outer web ; tail, dark brown ; iris, brown ; 

 bill, black ; legs and feet, slate. 



Measurements — Length, 20 inches; wing, 9 inches; culmen, 2.25 

 inches ; tarsus, 1.50 inches. 



Downy young— Upper parts, brown, with buff spots on sides of chest, 

 lower back, and rump ; space around eye, sides of head and neck, 

 and lower parts, buffy white. 



Eggs — Six to ten in number ; pale gray green in color, and measure 

 2.50 by 1.80 inches. 



Habitat — Breeds from Minnesota, Nebraska, Colorado, Nfcvada, 

 Oregon, and British Columbia, north to Fort Anderson and Fort 



