BLACK DUCK. 
157 
bounded on all sides by black ; wings and tail sooty brown ; tail 
feathers sharp pointed ; legs and feet dusky yellow ; lining of the 
wings pure white. 
The female has more brown on her plumage ; but in other 
respects differs little from the male, both having the beauty spot 
on the wing. 
Of all our Ducks this species is perhaps the most sagacious, 
and the most fearful of man. In the neighborhood of Philadel- 
phia they are found in great numbers ; they are notwithstanding 
hard to be obtained, in consequence of their extreme vigilance, and 
their peculiar habits. During the day they chiefly abandon the 
marshes ; and float in considerable bodies on the Delaware, taking 
their repose, with the usual precaution of employing wakeful sen- 
tinels, to give notice of danger. In the evening they resort to the 
muddy flats and shores, and occupy themselves throughout the 
greater part of the night in seeking for food. When searching 
out their feeding grounds, every individual is on the alert ; and on 
the slightest appearance of an enemy the whole mount and scatter 
in such a manner, that, in a flock of a hundred, it would be diffi- 
cult to knock down more than two or three at one shot. Their 
sense of smelling is uncommonly acute; and their ejesight, if 
we may judge from their activity at night, must be better than 
that of most species. When wounded on the water, they wdl im- 
mediately take to the shore, if in the vicinity, and conceal them- 
selves under the first covert, so that one accustomed to this habit 
can have no difficulty in finding them. 
VOI.. VIII. 
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