THE RING-NECKED DUCK. 321 



This bird arrives in Kentucky and the neighbouring States, as far down 

 the Mississippi as New Orleans, from the 20th of September to the middle 

 of October, at which latter period it may be found in the whole extent of 

 the Union, from Massachusetts to Louisiana, being more numerous in some 

 districts than in others, according to the suitableness of the place. They 

 commonly move while on wing in flocks of from fifteen to twenty indi- 

 viduals, keeping rather scattered, and thus rarely affording what is called a 

 good shot. They fly with rapidity, keeping at a considerable height, and 

 the motion of their wings produces a constant whistling as they pass over 

 head. Before alighting, they wheel and perform various evolutions, although 

 they do not occupy so much time with them as Teals are wont to do. 



The}' swim rather lightly and with ease, and, unlike the Scaups, expe- 

 rience no difficulty in rising on wing, whether from the land or from the 

 water, but generally spring up at once, especially if alarmed. They have 

 an almost constant practice of raising the head in a curved manner, partially 

 erecting the occipital feathers, and emitting a note resembling the sound 

 produced by a person blowing through a tube. At the approach of spring 

 the males are observed repeating this action every now and then, while near 

 the females, none of which seem to pay the least attention to their civilities. 



"Whilst in ponds, they feed by diving and dabbling with their bills in the 

 mud amongst the roots of grasses, of which they eat the seeds also, as well 

 as snails and all kinds of aquatic insects. When on rivers, their usual food 

 consists of small fish and crays, the latter of which they procure at the 

 bottom. A male which I shot near Louisville, in the beginning of May, 

 exhibited a protuberance of the neck so very remarkable as to induce me to 

 cut the skin, when I found a frog, the body of which was nearly two inches 

 long, and which had almost choked the bird, as it allowed me to go up 

 within a dozen or fifteen paces before I took aim. This species remains 

 with us in the Western Country later than most others of its tribe, and not 

 unfrequently as late as the Blue-winged Teal. 



We are indebted for the discovery of this species to my friend the Prince 

 of Musignano, who first pointed out the difference between it and the 

 Tufted Duck of Europe. The distinctions that exist in the two species he 

 ascertained about the time of my first acquaintance with him at Philadelphia 

 in 1824, when he was much pleased on seeing my drawing of a male and a 

 female, which I had made at Louisville, in Kentucky, previous to Wilson's 

 visit to me there. Wilson supposed it identical with the European species. 



The summer haunts and habits of this Duck have not been ascertained; 

 for although Dr. Richardson mentions that he found it not rare in the Fur 

 Countries, he says nothing of its eggs or nest. While with us it has no long 



Vol. VI. 44 



