ATIERICAN WID0EON. 209 



wall, the most numerous duck in those localities. 

 They feed more by night than day, chiefly upon 

 pond-moss, the blades, roots, and seeds of vari- 

 ous water-grasses, insects, etc., and occasionally, 

 though TaTely, dire in shoal water to secure them. 

 On the Chesapeake they are said to he particu- 

 larly fond of the roots of the wild celery, but being 

 poor divers, depend upon stealing their supplies 

 from the canvas-back — a trick they are said to be 

 very -expert in. " Watching for the moment of 

 the canvas-back's losing an< i before he has his 

 eyes well opened, they rush forward, snatch the 

 delicious morsel from his mouth and make off to 

 enjoy it." 1 have never seen them in company 

 with the canvas-back in the West, hut have often 

 found them associated with various shoal-water 

 ducks. Their " call " is a soft, plaintive whistle of 

 two tones and three notes of nearly equal duration, 

 the first and second of the same pitch, the third 

 about three tones lower ; the second or middle 

 is strongly accented. They stool well to almost 

 any decoys, to mallard perhaps better than any 

 others, and may he decoyed by imitating their 

 notes or those of the mallard. Their flesh is ex- 

 cellent eating, but they soon spoil in warm wea- 

 ther if the entrails are not drawn. They may be 



