
76 DUSKY DUCK. 
During their residence here in winter they frequent the 
marshes, and the various creeks and inlets with which those 
extensive flats are intersected. Their principal food consists 
of those minute snail-shells so abundant in the marshes. They 
occasionally visit the sandy beach in search of small bivalves, 
and on these occasions sometimes cover whole acres with their 
numbers. They roost at night in the shallow ponds, in the 
middle of the salt marsh, particularly on islands, where many 
are caught by the foxes. They are extremely shy during the 
day ; and, on the most distant report of a musket, rise from 
every quarter of the marsh in prodigious numbers, dispersing 
in every direction. In calm weather they fly high, beyond 
the reach of shot; but when the wind blows hard, and the 
eunner conceals himself among the salt grass, in a place over 
which they usually fly, they are shot down in great numbers ; 
their flight being then low. Geese, brant, and black ducks 
are the common game of all our gunners along this part of 
the coast during winter; but there are at least ten black ducks 
for one goose or brant, and probably many more. ‘Their 
voice resembles that of the duck and mallard; but their 
flesh 1s greatly inferior, owing to the nature of their food. 
They are, however, large, heavy-bodied ducks, and generally 
esteemed. 
I cannot discover that this species is found in any of the re- 
mote northern parts of our continent; and this is probably 
the cause why it is altogether unknown in Europe. It is 
abundant from Florida to New England ; but it is not enume- 
rated among the birds of Hudson’s Bay or Greenland. Its 
chief residence is on the sea-coast, though it also makes 
extensive excursions up the tide waters of our rivers. Like 
the mallard, they rarely dive for food, but swim and fly with 
great velocity. 
The dusky or black duck is two feet in leneth, and three 
feet two inches in extent; the bill is of a dark greenish ash 
formed very much like the mallard, and nearly of the same 
length; irides, dark; upper part of the head, deep dusky 

