514 The Water-fowl Family 



from the under-world. He is all gentility, the 

 ideal of contentment, a picture of repose. He is 

 too pretty to shoot, though when other ducks are 

 scarce he may have to fill the breach, as none 

 surpass him on the table. 



THE WOOD-DUCK 



Years ago, when I used to hunt on the tributa- 

 ries of the Mississippi, the beautiful wood-duck 

 was not only the first of the ducks from the north 

 that gave much shooting, but it bred on the 

 grounds in numbers sufficient to give fair sport 

 before the wings of the great northern host began 

 to sing as they rode downward on the shades of 

 night. And even before that, around every bend 

 in the slough, one could get a good shot from the 

 canoe at ducks still young but strong of wing, 

 while almost every log that projected into the 

 water had a flock or two basking in the sun in a 

 manner quite tempting to the tyro. 



Nothing of the sort seems to have existed on 

 the Pacific Coast to any extent, and not at all in 

 the southern part. The fulvous tree-duck, a true 

 wood-duck, breeding in hollow trees, seems the 

 only representative of the family here. It is a 

 light fulvous or tawny yellow, with larger spread 

 of wing than the eastern duck, but sadly short of 

 it in color and grace, and not abundant enough to 

 be a factor of importance in any of the shooting. 



