RED HEAD. 157 



Heads and Canvas Backs, and secure a large proportion 

 of the food these diving Ducks send to the surface. 

 Red Heads feed much at night, especially if the moon 

 is shining, and at such times are exceedingly busy, and 

 the splashing of diving birds, the coming and going of 

 others, and the incessant utterings of their hoarse note, 

 are heard from dark to daylight. They also feed by day, 

 if the weather has been stormy, but on quiet, pleasant 

 days they rarely move about much, but remain quietly 

 out in the open water, sleeping, or dressing their feath- 

 ers, or occasionally taking a turn beneath the surface as 

 though more in an exploring mood, than for the purpose 

 of seeking food. In localities where the marshes are 

 scattered throughout the broad sounds, or form the 

 banks of the rivers, the Red Heads are accustomed to 

 resort to them a great deal, paddling close to the edges 

 looking for insects or other animated objects suitable 

 for food, or frequenting the ponds, when such exist, in 

 company with mud Ducks and others which habitually 

 seek such places. 



As a rule the Red Head is gentle and unsuspicious, 

 and readily comes to decoys. It has a habit on such 

 occasions that causes great destruction to the flocks. 

 When the birds have sailed up to the blind and either 

 are preparing to alight, or hesitating whether or not to 

 go on their way, the members ^rowd close together, or 

 " bunch," as it is called, giving the sportsman an op- 

 portunity to discharge the contents of his gun into 

 their midst with the effect of kilHng a number of 

 birds and wounding many more. An injured Red 

 Head is not an easy bird to capture, as it dives and . 

 skulks with great rapidity and skill,' and if on open water 

 always moves against the wind. If near a marsh, it will 

 get under the bank, or crawl up into the grass, and it 



