January, 1920 
FOREST AND STREAM 
13 
Scaup duck (male) Marila ma.rila 
ser scaup by far the most plentiful 
duck on a river and bay along the 
east coast of Florida during my 
visit there one winter. There were 
enormous flocks on the Halifax River, 
and on the section of the river in front 
of Daytona the birds floated in huge 
rafts upon the water within a few yards 
of shore. Here they were very tame, 
since they were protected within the 
town limits throughout the entire year. 
But they seemed to know well the bound- 
aries of protection, for up or down the 
river a short distance from town they 
were as wild as usual. 
The ring-neck duck is about the same 
size and similar to the lesser scaup, but 
may be distinguished from its greater 
and lesser allies by a broad reddish 
brown collar around the middle of the 
neck, a white chin and a bluish band at 
the end of the black bill. The female 
closely resembles the female red-head 
but its smaller size, darker brown color, 
and indistinct collar are diagnostic with 
a bird in the hand. 
The ring-neck duck has a wide range 
throughout the country, but it prefers 
fresh to salt water and is more plentiful 
in the interior than on the sea coasts. 
It is nowhere very abundant. Its habits 
are similar to those of the little scaup, 
with which bird it often associates. The 
greater scaup, lesser scaup and ring- 
neck duck may be shot from the same 
blind and over the same decoys. 
T HE wind was still fairly strong 
when we stepped out into the night 
at four A. M. Daylight was long 
in coming and it was still dark when we 
had settled ourselves in the sneak-boxes, 
well hidden on a point of marsh, a half 
mile from the house-boat which we made 
our headquarters. A hundred decoys 
danced and bobbed on the little waves 
before us. 
We were warmly clothed, but the frost 
crept up and found us as we lay there 
waiting for the comin'g day. 
Presently the east lightened and in 
the wan gray flocks of ducks could be 
seen weaving their way through the sky 
or scurrying before the wind. 
Suddenly, without warning, there was 
a rush of wings quite close to our heads 
as a flock of scaup swung in to the de- 
coys. Sitting up, the three of us fired at 
the shadowy forms. Two or three birds 
dropped into the water, showing black 
and white upon the waves as they drifted 
with the wind. The rest were gone ere 
the reports of the guns had died away. 
The slain were gathered in. 
As the light strengthened and spread 
the gray expanse of bay, cheerless in the 
dull, heavy dawn, was gradually re- 
vealed. Then the fowl began to come. 
A passing bunch of big broad-bills 
noticed our decoys and turned, rushing 
in over the “stool” like feathered cannon 
balls. Three heads appeared from out 
the reed covered boats and three guns 
roared in the stillness of the morning. 
Five or six ducks floated breast up on 
the water and were easily recovered, 
but two cripples led our guide a lively 
chase. One escaped, the other he secured. 
A few minutes later a single scaup 
slipped into the decoys and sat quite 
near our boats. It saw me as I rose but 
it was evidently confused and instead 
of jumping it swam about. I shouted but 
it obstinately refused to go. Then it 
dove and came up just beyond the far- 
thest decoys. There it jumped but the 
hfeavy load of number 4’s dropped it 
upon the water. 
“Get down, here comes a big bunch.” 
They were broad-bills, thirty or forty 
in the flock, beating to windward of our 
decoys. They circled, dropped down to 
leeward and came up against the wind 
until they were over the decoys. 
As we rose they swung off, bunching 
as they did so. The fire from six bar- 
rels dropped eight or ten birds upon, the 
water. Then a lively chase for the 
wounded ensued, all hands out in the 
boats, trying to handle the oars, watch- 
ing on all sides, and ready to grab up 
the gun the moment a diver showed him- 
self upon the surface. 
And so we shot on with varying suc- 
cess, until the noon hour neared, when 
the ducks became scarce. Then the guns 
were laid aside and the lunch boxes 
brought out. 
Later in the afternoon the birds be- 
gan to come again, mostly scaups with 
now and then a bunch of black-ducks, 
golden-eye or sheldrake. 
It required quick handling of the gun 
and straight shooting to stop those 
lightning-fast broad-bills. If a man 
drops one out of a flock which is well 
Ring-neck duck (male) Marila collaris 
Masked duck (male) Nomonyx dominions 
scattered he is doing alright, and a 
double may be considered a luxury. Of 
course, there are times when a flock is 
well bunched over the decoys, and then 
a good shot can account for quite a few 
birds with his two barrels. But as an 
average, day in and day out, a man who 
kills fifty per cent, of the ducks shot at 
may be well satisfied with his perform- 
ance. 
Birds came to us and quite often we 
missed them. But others there were 
which came to stay, and at evening when 
the decoys were taken up the bag was 
pronounced a good one — some thirty odd 
birds. 
THE RUDDY-DUCK 
T HE ruddy-duck is a handsome, 
plump, little duck with a very small 
head and more closely resembles a 
fat, squat teal than an ordinary sea- 
duck. 
Male, in summer: Crown of head and 
nape glossy black; chin and sides of 
head white; throat, neck, back, upper 
tail coverts and sides of body rich red- 
dish chestnut; lower back and rump 
grayish brown; under parts white with 
dusky bars; tail dark brown and of 
stiff pointed quills; wings dark brown 
and very short; bill, legs and feet bluish 
gray or brownish gray; bill is as long 
as head and broader at tip; feet and 
webs very large. Length fifteen inches 
to seventeen inches. In winter the male 
resembles the female. 
Female: Crown, nape and upper parts 
dark brown, feathers of back rippled 
with buff; sides of head and chin white; 
throat and neck brownish gray; breast 
grayish white mottled with chestnut; 
under parts silvery white with dusky 
bars. 
Because of its small size and poor de- 
coying qualities the ruddy-duck is often 
neglected by sportsmen in favor of the 
big red-heads, canvas-backs, scaups and 
others. But, nevertheless, the little 
ruddy possesses all the sporting qualifi- 
cations necessary, with the exception of 
decoying, to keep him in the ranks of 
first class game birds. 
The ruddy flies with great rapidity, 
and this with his small size renders him 
a difficult target on the wing. Also he is 
usually very fat and excellent when 
served on the table, especially when hav- 
ing fed on wild celery. 
