296 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
nineteen or twenty inches, and a weight of twenty-two 
ounces or more. The female, which is more brownish 
than black, has a white face, and is nearly as large as the 
male. This species has less fear of approaching the land 
than most of its deep-water kindred, and this enables 
persons to tole it with facility, for its curiosity is over- 
whelming. Though fond of the same food as the can- 
vas-back and red-head, its flesh is not so good, yet it is 
fit to grace any table. The black-heads can be seen in 
vast flocks in some of the regions adjoining the Pacific 
Ocean; and when they are mingled with other deep-water 
ducks they may be readily distinguished at a distance by 
their low and rapid flight and close grouping. When 
wounded they try to escape by diving and swimming long 
distances under water. They are prompt in coming to 
decoys, and as prompt in leaving, if their confidence has 
been imposed upon. They do not answer their whirring 
call well, so it is useless to try it except when they are 
passing by the ‘‘stools,” but it may then attract their 
attention even if it is only rudely imitated. 
The lesser scaup duck (/. affinis), is a small edition of 
the preceding, the habits of both being almost exactly 
alike, except that the latter goes further south in its win- 
ter wanderings. It breeds in vast numbers near-the 
streams, lakes, and sloughs of the Northwest, and ac- 
companies its larger kindred all over the country. 
The ring-neck, or tufted duck (F. collaris), which de- 
rives its name from the ring of orange-brown on the neck, 
is common in several of the Western and Southwestern 
States, but it is not pursued as actively as the preceding 
species, its flesh not being deemed equal to theirs. It 
flies rapidly, clusters closely, dives and swims well, and 
is rather tenacious of life. It does not decoy as well as 
the majority of its congeners, and its voice is difficult of 
imitation. It is rather shy, yet it may be readily shot 
from covert while it is feeding in the stubble fields or in 
