CANVAS-BACK 143 



period could be lengthened if a pond with plenty of natural food was provided. 

 Doubtless, too, hand-reared birds live a good deal better than wild-caught ones. 

 It may be that a healthy stock of hand-reared birds will sometime be found on the 

 market. 



Only once, so far as I know, has this duck been bred by any one. In 1913 some 

 individuals reared by Mr. H. K. Job from eggs gathered wild in Manitoba were 

 brought to maturity on the estate of Mr. William Rockefeller. They were placed in 

 charge of Arthur M. Barnes. In 1914 there was no sign of breeding, but in 1915 a 

 drake was seen constantly patrolling a certain portion of the lake. The nest was 

 found not over two feet from the shore with six eggs in it. The long pliable twigs of 

 a weeping-willow tree had been used in constructing it and it measured 2% feet 

 broad at the base and was built up six inches from the ground, forming a bowl six 

 inches in diameter, lined with a few feathers but very little down. The female was 

 allowed to incubate for three weeks, when the eggs were taken and placed under a 

 hen. The foster mother brought out three ducklings, two of the eggs proving infer- 

 tile, and a third having a dead embryo about two weeks along. These ducklings 

 were rather wild at first and there was some trouble in getting them started, but they 

 were all successfully reared (A. M. Barnes, 1915). Mr. Job told me that this pair of 

 birds bred again successfully. 



So far as I know nobody until recently has kept this duck in Europe, and it does 

 not seem to have been exhibited in the London Gardens. Miss Hubbard (1907) 

 mentioned a shipment obtained by the dealer, Mr. Jamrach of London, all of which 

 died. Mr. Blaauw of Holland and Mr. H. Wormald of Norfolk, England, both told 

 me they had never been able to get live specimens. However, the latter gentleman 

 very recently reared two to maturity from eggs sent to him from Alberta. And in 

 1922 six or eight hand-reared specimens which I shipped to him arrived safely. I saw 

 these same birds in his ponds in 1924 and they looked in perfect condition and were 

 wonderfully tame. They were then two years old and although one pair had shown 

 some signs of nesting, none of them had laid any eggs. 



My own Canvas-backs proved very attractive on the water but not especially 

 interesting to watch. They got lazy and spent much time standing on the cement 

 rim of their pond in anything but graceful attitudes. They should be kept amused 

 by having something to dive for. When I first placed them in their quarters they 

 dove actively for the frogs' eggs and tadpoles which abounded, but after these were 

 used up they did not have enough to do. I sometimes put a few minnows into 

 the pond and these they chased as actively as the Red-heads and Scaups did. 

 I never saw the full display from my birds but only the peculiar head and neck 

 attitudes described under Courtship and Nesting. My specimens moulted very 

 late, scarcely beginning until the end of July and they never assumed a perfect 

 eclipse. It is not especially difficult to rear these birds from wild-gathered eggs, 



