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ANVASBACK {Fuligula vallisneria), a 

 fine duck which is now fast being exter- 

 minated by the hunters, is the sub- 

 ject of one of the intaglio-gravure 

 pictures illustrating" Game Birds of America." 



SATURDAY DAILY READING IN THE MENTOR COURSE 

 PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION 



"TPHE canvasback, most famous of 

 wild fowl, is a purely and exclusively 

 American species, ranging during the 

 year over practically the whole North 

 American continent. But now this duck 

 is Uttle more than a bird of history. It 

 has been almost exterminated by the 

 gunners. Once the delight of the epi- 

 cure, it promises soon to become a 

 curiosity. 



Canvasbacks breed principally in the 

 interior of British America and Alaska. 

 They make their first migration south- 

 ward during October. As they are a 

 very hardy bird, many canvasbacks 

 spend the winter in the northern states. 

 But it is in the middle and southern 

 ern states, particularly in the Chesa- 

 peake, that they congregate in greatest 

 numbers. 



When they have fed for sometime 

 upon the vallisneria or wild celery, their 

 flesh is unexcelled among wild fowl. But 

 if they are not able to get this food they 

 taste very little better than the poorer 

 species, and are far inferior to such river 

 ducks as the mallard, the dusky duck, 

 gadwall, teal, or pintail. 



Canvasbacks closely resemble red- 

 heads in general appearance. But the 

 long, straight black bill and darker fore- 

 head are characteristic of the canvas- 

 back alone. The redhead has a moder- 



ately short bluish gray bill and a uniform 

 light chestnut fluffy head. 



Often redheads are substituted for 

 canvasbacks upon the unknowing pur- 

 chaser. On the same feeding grounds 

 one is 'about as good as the other. The 

 fraud consists in that while the price of 

 the redhead is very reasonable, that of 

 the canvasback is fabulous. 



The canvasback comes nicely to de- 

 coys usually, particularly if live dusky 

 ducks are used. But they become very 

 cautious if they are much hunted, es- 

 pecially in the North, where, they go 

 generally in pairs or small companies. 

 No statelier duck swims than the game 

 and cautious canvasback at such times. 

 Aristocratic head held high, he warily 

 draws in toward the lures. Every sense 

 is alert. He is ready for an instant 

 spring at the slightest movement or 

 sound. Canvasbacks are expert div- 

 ers. If only wounded they are hard to 

 retrieve. They will dive and swim long 

 distances under the surface, coming up 

 in the rushes and cattails at the edge of 

 the water. There it is almost hopeless 

 to try to recover them. 



These ducks are swift flying and strong. 

 Their average length is about twenty- 

 two inches. The males look very white 

 when on the wing. The females have 

 much the appearance of redheads. 



Copyright, 1913, hy The Mentor Association, Inc. 



