CLASS II. AVES: OKDER 8. NATATORES. 
323 
THK KED-CUESTED WHISTLING DUCK. (See p. 322.) 
The Fbrkuginous Duck or White-Eye, nyroca, is sixteen inches long ; common ia Enropc. 
The Scaup Duck, F. marila — called Broad-Bill, Blue-Bill, BlacJc-IIead, and Raft-Duck in 
this country — is nineteen inches long ; common in Europe and America. 
The Ameeioan Scaup Duck, 
F. 7nariloidcs — tlie Creek 
Broad-Bill of DeKa}^ — iscom- 
moii in North America ; acci- 
dental in Europe. (See p. 324-.) 
The Bastard Broad-Bill, 
F. riifitorques — the Rinrj-NecJc 
Duck of Audubon — 16 inches 
Jong, is found from Massachu- 
setts to Mexico. 
The Canvas-Back, F. valisne- 
ria — Aytliya valisncria of Bona- 
parte — is 20 inches long ;. gen- 
eral color abo\'c grayish-white, 
with numerous rainnte undulat- 
ing bars of black; rump black- 
ish ; head and neck chestnut 
red ; neck and breast brownish- 
black ; beneath white. It is al- 
together an American bird ; 
stands unrivaled for the table; 
breeds in high northern lati- 
tudes ; appears on our coasts 
from the North about the mid- 
dle of October. AVilson says : 
"A few descend to the Hudson 
and Delaw-are, but the great 
body resort to the numerous 
rivCTs belonging to and in the 
neighborhood of Chesapeake 
Bay, jDarticularly the Susque- 
liannah, the Patapsco, Poto- 
mac, and James Elvers, Avhich 
appear to be their general winter 
rendezvous. Beyond this, to the 
south, I eau find no certain ac- 
counts of them. At the Sus- 
quehannah, they are called Can- 
vas-Backs ; on the Potomac, 
White-Backs; and on James 
River, Sheldrakes. They are 
seldom found at a great distance 
up any of these rivers, or even in 
the salt-water bay; but in that particular part of tide-water where a certain grass-like plant grows, on 
the roots of Avhich they feed. This plant, which is said to be a species of valimeria, grows on fresh- 
water shoals of from seven to nine feet, in long, narrow, grass-like blades, of four or five feet in length ; 
the root is white, and has some i-eserablance to small celery. This grass is in many places so thick 
that a boat can witli difiiculty be rowed through it, it so impedes the oars. The shores are lined with 
large quantities of it, torn up by the ducks, and drifted up by the winds, lying, like hay, in wind- 
rows. Wherever this plant grows in abundance, the Canvas-Backs may be expected, either to 
THE POCHARD. (See p. 322.) 
