File:Birds that hunt and are hunted- life histories of one hundred and seventy birds of prey, game birds and water-fowls (1904) (14732239686).jpg

Identifier: cu31924090299755 (find matches)
Title: Birds that hunt and are hunted: life histories of one hundred and seventy birds of prey, game birds and water-fowls
Year: 1904 (1900s)
Authors: Blanchan, Neltje
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: New York, Doubleday, Page & company
Contributing Library: Cornell University Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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while the other probes the muddy bottomfor food. It is in such marshy waters at the north that theybuild a nest among the rank herbage close to shore. Here itsometimes rests on the water, or else very close beside it; forthese ducks are poor walkers, and the mother chooses to glide offthe large nestful of buff eggs directly into her natural element.As usual, the drake keeps at a distance when there is any workto be done. Their call note is a sort of hiss, suggesting theirancestors, the reptiles, on the one hand, and their immediate kin,the geese, on the other. Canvasback (Aythyra vallisneria.) Called also: WHITE BACK ; BULL-NECK Length—21 inches ; generally a little larger than the redhead. Male—Head and neck dark reddish brown, almost black oncrown and chin, y^ broad band of black encircles breast atjdupper back; rest of the back and generally wing coverts sil-very gray, .almost white, the plumage being white, broken Upwitii fine wavy black lines often broken into dots across 116
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Sea and Bay Ducks the feathers; white underneath; sides dusi<y; pointed tailfeathers darkest slate. Bill, longer than head and shaped likea gooses, from 2.50 to 3 inches in length. Eyes red; feetbluish gray. Female—Head, neck, collar around upper back and breast, cinna-mon or snuff brown; lighter on the throat; back and sidesgrayish brown marked with waving white lines; whiteunderneath. Range—North America at large, nesting from the Rocky Moun-tains and the upper tier of our western states to Alaska andthe farthest British possessions, and wintering in the UnitedStates, especially in the Chesapeake and middle Texas regions,southward to Central America. Season—Autumn and spring migrant, and winter resident. There is little reason for squealing in barbaric joy over thisover-rated and generally underdone bird, says Dr. Coues; notone person in ten thousand can tell it from any other duck on thetable, and only then under the celery circumstances. Yet it isthis darling of the epicu

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