THE SCAUP-DUCKS 187 



gives the back and sides the gray appearance com- 

 mon to both canvas-backs and red-heads. The head 

 of the larger variety is said to have green reflections; 

 that of the smaller bird is said to have purple reflec- 

 tions, but iridescent color reflections are usually 

 changeable and, as Elliot says, feathers which reflect 

 green in one light may be purple in another. From 

 the sportsman's point of view the birds are the same, 

 excepting as to size. Both birds come nicely to 

 decoys, fly with great rapidity, and are excellent food 

 vvhen feeding on water grass; but not so palatable 

 when the diet is unfavorable. 



These ducks, like the canvas-backs and red-heads, 

 are expert divers, and, like the others, use their wings 

 under water to propel themselves when in search of 

 food, or seeking to escape when wounded. 



The flocks of the smaller scaup are often larger, 

 much larger, in fact, than those of the big black-heads, 

 which usually contain from six or less, to ten or twelve 

 birds. Herbert Job recently observed the scaups, big 

 and little, in pairs on the Dakota lakes in the spring, 

 and secured a photograph of the nest of the smaller 

 bird. These birds, like the other sea-fowl, are well 

 protected with feathers and require hard hitting to 

 bring them down. I used to use No. 3 or 4 shot for 

 all sea-ducks, but have later used No. 5 or 6 with 

 better results. 



In addition to the big and little black-heads, there is 

 another bird very similar to the little scaup, which is 

 known as the ring-neck duck. This duck is often 

 called the shuffler, tufted duck, and ring-neck black 

 duck, and has a wide distribution throughout North 



