Ducks SWIMMING BIRDS. 



made it impossible for the parent to fly with a duckling in 

 her beak. 



The drake does not assist in the labours of incubation and 

 the female is left in the lurch in the same manner as the 

 Partridge. 



Sub-family Fuligulin^e : Sea Ducks. 1 

 Bedhead: Aythya americana* 



American Pochard. 



Plate 74. 



Length : 20-23 inches. 



Male : Not crested, head and neck a warm chestnut ; bill dull bluish 

 with black terminal band. Above ash waved with black lines, 

 giving a silvery hue. Below white, waved with black ; lower 

 neck, fore parts of body and lower tail coverts blackish. Tail 

 grayish brown. Wings gray with white specks ; speculum whit- 

 ish ash, bordered with black. 



Female : " Wholly brown forehead and cheeks tinged with red." 



Season : A migrant ; rare at Stratford according to Mr. Averill, but I 

 have seen it several times on the Fairfield marsh-meadows. 



Breeds : Northward from California and Maine. 



Mange : North America. 



The common Wild Duck of our markets which often, 

 when deprived of its identifying feathers, goes masquerad- 

 ing as the Canvasback, with whom it associates. 



Canvasback: Aythya vallisneria. 



Length : 20-22 inches. 



Male : Bill blackish, 2£ inches long, or not shorter than the head. 

 Above waved black and white, head tinged with black in front, 

 and a rich glossy chestnut neck and back to head. A brown- 

 ish black collar across upper breast, below whitish ; sides dusky. 

 Tail slatish, feathers pointed. Speculum white. 



Season : Bare fall and winter migrant. 



1 Feet fully webbed, large flap on hind toe, rapid swimmers, but awk- 

 ward on land. Feed largely upon animal food, and their flesh, with a 

 iv w notable exceptions, is rather coarse if not as rank as the fish-eating 

 species. 



262 



