Bi'HDS oiF Indiana. 615 



The greater'number of .persons/ perhaps, caaajnot distinguish 'between 

 the Bedhead and thcmuehr^steemed' CanvaiSibaek. While their habits 

 are quite similar in eertaiii'Pe&pects/ they like the same food,' have sub- 

 atantiajll'yttbe saMie range aad in some ways resemble each «ther, it 

 ■r€quir©s bait liitle instructifln'to teaeh one to Kiiscrimiaate. The long, 

 •flat bill with'slightlyhiJdhed. Dail oftheiCanvasHback' will distinguish it 

 ■in any plumage ^ffrom the 'shorter,! less ^flattened bill, with 'decidedly 

 hooked nail lit the Redhead. 



•Both of these duofes are !found in 'wild 'eelery, and being great divers, 

 are enabled to secure its roots for themselves. When feeding upon 

 ■this favorite>lood, the famed Ganv!as*-baek is said to be no better'thah 

 ihe Bedhead. In iaet, isome persons who claim to have i a right, by 

 reason 'of their taxperieaice in.'gast>rono!my,'toispeafewi'th' authority, ^say 

 ."bke latter is the superior foird. Itis furthersaid, in some hotels, where 

 •tihe price ofitheiwo duoks is quite far apart,' they are both served from 

 the same vessel, > which, had one noted carefully what went into it, 

 would have been found to be; filled wiii. ©edheads. 



In 'fall these duoks return in -September, usually toward the latter 

 part. Oftenfchey leave very soon. At other times they remain past 

 the ' middle of October, and occasionally a few ■ may remain later. In 

 1881 the last Bedhead was killed at English Lake, September '21. In 

 1889 these duclts 'were «een in sjaall -flocks September 25, and in 1895 

 ithey were noted lat Liverpool, Ind.,- October 18. 



40. (147.) Aythya vallisneria (Wils ) 



,Oaiwa£-back. 



Adult. Male. — ^Head,a»d neds; reddish-^brown, the former blackish on 

 top;eh6st, upper^back, lower rump and lupper and under tail coverts 

 .black; rest of 'plumage' (except. quills, -etci) white, the upper parts, 

 sides and flanks and ventral'Tegion finely > waved or vor-miculatedwith 

 dusky. Adudt iFemale.'^Iiesii, n-eck, chest, and upper back raw- 

 umber brown; the forepartdf the head and' foreneck whitish; scapu- 

 lars, sides and'flanks similar, but tips of the feathers'vermiculated'with 

 whitish. 



Length, about 20.00-23.50; wing, 8.75-9.25; bill, 2.10-2.50; greatest 

 depth of bill, .75-.80. 



Bange. — North America, breeding in interior from Minnesota 

 north to Alaska. Winters from Southern States southward to Guate- 

 mala. 



Nest, on ground, of grass and weeds, lined with feathers. Eggs, 

 ,6-10; grayish-drab or greenish-buff; 2,48 by 1,76, 



