108 BIRDS OF THE WEST 



CANVASBACK DUCK. 



What a reputation this duck Jiasi iJut like every other good 

 thing it has its imitation as weil as its reputation. The widgeon 

 or baid-pate is the name of the duck that is oiten sold m swell 

 restaurants for the canvasback and tlic principal diherence in 

 taste is that the bald-pate is sweeter and tenderer. Why not? 

 Does not the canvasback duck dive and swim to tne bottom oi tiie 

 pond to pull up the wild celery (eel grass) only to hnd when it 

 reaches the surface that a bald-pate is there to take it away from 

 him and eat it"/ 'fnus the baid-pate gels the celery and the can- 

 vasback gets the exercise. Keulieads too, gee paniiea on as ctin- 

 vasuacks, for trie birds resemble eacii ointr so mucli lUtii ^viicii 

 a few oi the teil-iaie wing leathers are xjulied out of the redhead, 

 an expert has to guess them apart. As far as good, juicy diicks 

 go, the redhead, baid-pate, the spoon-bui, the Olue bifl, the mallard, 

 the teal and the pin-tail all have admirers who prefer them to the 

 canvasback. The really poor duck you know is tiie one mat 

 eats the most hshes for he takes the tish flavor and chasing them 

 toughens his muscles. 



"iSweet land of liberty!" And land of license too. How 

 many are the ducks shot m the spriugiime when they are 

 gentlest, tor love is warming in their flulfy breasts and tliey are 

 choosing their mates for the season. Thin and tired from their 

 long migration, the pot-himters have a merry springtime knock- 

 ing them down. Let them shoot the canvas-backs in the faU, if 

 they will. They will earn the name of sportsmen if they get more 

 than they can carry, for the canvasback is a clever and w'atcliful 

 bird. But shooting them in the springtime? It's like taking 

 candy from a baby. 



A man told me recently that he never shot the female ducks, 

 but only the males as he did not wish to break up their nesting. 

 He is a very wise man and could probably tell a drone from a 

 honey-bee if he saw them flying through the air. As a matter 

 of fact few gtumers can tell them apart after they (the ducks) 

 are dead. So imagination and self-deception are used to justify 

 wrongdoing. 



