328 FEATHERED GAME 
chaser has no cause for complaint at the Red- 
head’s food qualities. In the waters where the 
Red-head and canvasback are most eagerly 
sought and where the latter has won its high 
reputation as a dainty bit for the table their 
diet of wild celery is in the main responsible 
for their excellence of flesh. Let us notice that 
the Red-head is equally as good as the canvas- 
back in these places and on the same food, and 
that neither one is to be preferred before some 
of the ‘‘river ducks’’ in other localities where 
the wild celery has been omitted from Mother 
Nature’s menu. Why should not the widgeon 
also rank as high? From his predatory habits 
he lives as well as either one of them in celery 
time. 
The Red-head is eagerly hunted in all the 
waters where it is found. It comes readily to 
decoys and it is over these that most of them 
are shot. They kill hard and will carry off a 
heavy dose of lead. A wounded bird should be 
finished at once, for a cripple is nearly always 
lost to the gunner who permits it to get under 
water, as the Red-head is a good swimmer and 
expert as a diver, though falling far short of 
the submarine performances of various ducks 
