File:The wild fowl of the United States and British possessions - or, The swan, geese, ducks, and mergansers of North America (1898) (14562937819).jpg

Identifier: wildfowlofunited00elli (find matches)
Title: The wild fowl of the United States and British possessions : or, The swan, geese, ducks, and mergansers of North America
Year: 1898 (1890s)
Authors: Elliot, Daniel Giraud, 1835-1915
Subjects: Game and game-birds Anatidae
Publisher: New York : F.P. Harper
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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very common in many localities in theinterior of the United States probably really have refer-ence to the Little Black Head, quite another species. This Duck breeds in the far North, from Alaska onboth sides of the mountains across the continent, andpossibly to the vicinity of the Arctic Sea. It is also aninhabitant of the Eastern Hemisphere, and is found fromthe British Islands to China breeding in the northernportions, but not south of the latitude of Lapland. Itis found on Kotzebue Soimd, Alaska, and on the YukonRiver it is plentiful in summer, and is also dispersedthroughout its Delta, and along the islands of the Aleu-tian chain. The birds arrive at their breeding groundsfrom the South early in May, and scatter over themarshes and numerous small ponds, and select theirmates preparatory for the nesting season rapidly ap-proaching. A place amid the high grass, close to thewater, is selected for the nest, so close indeed that thebird can swim to it. Loose grass, lying about, is i6o
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SCAUP urcK. i6i gathered together, and down, plucked from the l)ir(rsown breast to form a bed, is placed upon it, and from sixto eight eggs, rather a small complement for a Duck, aredeposited. These are pale olive gray in hue, and arehidden in the downy covering whenever the female is o-ffthe nest. June is the month for incubation, and theperiod of hatching must be from three to four wrecks,for in August half-grown young are seen. As soon asthe ducklings escape from the ^^^y they are led by themother to some large body of water, where frequentlyseveral broods unite and form quite a flock. In October the Big Blue Bill enters the limits of theUnited States, coming from its Northern home, and isfound along the coast of both oceans, going as far southas Mexico during the winter. It flies with great swiftness,and is a most expert diver; a wounded bird, unless verybadly crippled, being practically impossible to capture.The Bay Broad Bill, as it is sometimes called, does notgo in such large

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