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The Canvas-back Duck {^Fuligula vallisneria), North 
America. 
The Red-headed Duck (^FuUgula ferina var. americana), 
North America. 
The Eider Duck {Somateria molissimd), North Atlantic. 
The last species, which yields much of the famous Eider 
down, is found along the Arctic coast of Europe and America. 
On the North Atlantic coast of this continent it sometimes 
winters as far south as New England. The down is plucked 
from the breast of the living bird and is very valuable. It is 
obtained, also, by robbing the nests, which the female parent 
lines with down, which, with her bill, she pulls from her own 
breast to make a soft resting-place for her offspring. 
The Summer Duck differs from all the other true ducks of 
this country in its habit of living in trees, — its nest being 
commonly made in a hollow limb at a considerable distance 
from the ground. A group known as Tree Ducks, approach- 
ing somewhat to the geese, are found from Mexico to South 
America. The White-faced Tree D \ jCYi{Dendrocygna vidu - 
ata ) and the Red-billed Tree Duck {Dendrocygna autum - 
nalis ) are members of this group. 
The Adjutant {^Leptoptilus argala), of India, is one of the 
extensive family of Storks, which are found throughout the 
world, with the exception of North America ; it will be easily 
recognized by its long, thick bill. In its native country it 
wages successful war on the many venomous reptiles which 
there find a home, and also performs a part similar to that 
which is effectively taken in our Southern States by the Black 
Vulture. This is well stated in Jerdon’s “ Birds of India:” — 
“In Calcutta and some other large towns, the Adjutant is a 
familiar bird, unscared by the near approach of man or dog, 
and protected, in some cases, by law. It is an efficient scaven- 
ger, attending the neighborhood of slaughter-houses, and 
especially the burning grounds of the Hindoos, when the 
often half-burnt carcasses are thrown into the river. It also 
diligently looks over the heaps of refuse and offal thrown out 
into the streets to await the arrival of the scavenger’s cart, 
where it maybe seen in company with dogs, kites, and crows. 
It likes to vary its food, however, and may often be seen search- 
ing ditches, pools of water and tanks, for frogs and fish. In 
