Another widely distributed and familiar species is the black duck or black mallard (Anas rubripes), which is slightly smaller than the mallard, is sooty brown with buffy mark ings, and has a purple speculum edged at the end with white. It neither goes so far north to breed nor so far south in winter, so that it is present and numerous at most seasons in the United States east of the plains. The gadwall (Chaulelasmus streperus) is an important species of the interior States, blackish in plum age, marked with buff and white, giving a brownish, scaled appearance: grayish below; wing chestnut, with a conspicuous white patch. The European widgeon frequently visits the American Atlantic coast. The American widgeon (Mareca americana) is better known as °baldpate," and is a handsome duck, ranging in its migrations all over the continent. Its general aspect is mottled brown and black, with the wings strikingly black and white. The crown is white, below which the sides of the head and nape are glossy green — this ornament is lacking in the female. Their loud whistling cry is known to all gunners.
The teals are small, reddish, widely dis tributed and favorite ducks of two Eastern species, the green-winged (Nettion carolinense) and the blue-winged (Querquedula discors), noted for their swiftness of flight, expertness in dodging and mellow whistling notes. A third species, the cinnamon teal (Q. cyanoptera), is restricted to the Pacific slope, and takes its name from the color of its underparts. The shoveller (Spatula clypeata) is so called from its great ladle-like bill, likened to a double spatula. Its head, in the drake, is green; the breast and upper parts are white, divided by a wedge of brown on the back; the under-surface is chestnut, and the wings and tail are black and green, while the feet are coral red. The female is nearly plain reddish brown. This fine duck is most common in the Mississippi Valley and obtains its food from the bottom of shallow water. The pintail (Dafila acuta) is another duck known throughout the northern hemi sphere, and easily recognized by the two greatly prolonged central tail-feathers of the male. In general color it is dusky brown, with a reddish head, white throat and breast, green tail and green speculum. Its long neck and tail make it conspicuous among other ducks in flight.
The fresh-water group ends with the most beautiful of all American water-fowl, the wood duck (Aix sponsa). It is of moderate size and the upper parts are green with purplish reflec tions, the breast is dull red, the sides buff and the lower breast white. The head has an elon gated, drooping crest, which is divided length wise by a white line and is edged with white; and curving white lines ornament the neck, shoulders and coverts of the wing, which dis plays a speculum of steel blue. The female is equally ornamental in more quiet tones. This exquisite little duck was formerly extremely abundant, and is yet somewhat common throughout the whole temperate zone of the con tinent and returns only into the southern States for the winter. His haunts are waters in the midst of woods, and he has the singular habit of making his nest in some hollow in a decayed tree, often at a great height from the ground and at a long distance from water. When the young are able to scramble up to the entrance of the cavity, they are encouraged to let them selves drop off to the ground, and fall so lightly as to suffer no injury; but sometimes they are carried down by the mother, who then leads them carefully to the nearest water.
The sea and bay ducks (Fuligulince) are mostly to be found in or near salt water, but mingle with the anatine species in river-mouths and brackish marshes. Fond of open waters, many in their migrations frequent the large interior bays and lakes and are among the best for the table. °Their food," says Chapman, °consists chiefly of mollusks, crustaceans, and the seeds and roots of aquatic plants. They ob tain it principally by diving, sometimes descend ing 150 feet or more. . . . With one exception
they are northern-breeding birds, seldom nest ing south of our northern tier of States." Prominent in this group is the canvasback (Mania vallisneria), famous among epicures. It is rather large, has a reddish-brown head and neck, the breast and upper back black, the belly white, and the hinder half of the body covered with fine,• wavy crosslines of black and white, whence its name. It is seen in autumn on every large lake east of the plains as well as along the eastern coast; and although far less abundant now than in old times is still fairly numerous owing to legal protection. Its favorite food is the aquatic weed vallisneria, erroneously called °wild celery." Very closely related, and equally good, when equally well fed, is the redhead (M. americana), which has a much broader area of velvety black about the neck, and a brownish in stead of a gray back; its range extends to the Pacific coast. The scaups, greater (M. marila) and lesser (M. of air), are dark-colored, bellied birds, very common along the coasts in bays and salt-marshes, deriving their name from their cry. The ring-neck (M. colaris) differs chiefly in having a distinct chestnut collar. The golden-eye (Clangula americana) migrates and breeds throughout the northern interior, and is singular in nesting in a hole in a tree, like the wood-duck. It has a glossy green head, with a puffed appearance, due to the length of the feathers, and marked by a large round white spot before the eye. Otherwise it is white with a black back, the female being all brown. The whistling noise of its wings in flight make it known to gunners as °the whistler?' The bunk head, harlequin and old squaw are sea ducks with a highly varied and beautiful plumage, while the scoters are dull in plumage and the eiders (see EIDER Duo() are big, black-and white ducks of the north, of little interest to sportsmen, and not utilized in this country as is the case in Iceland and northern Europe. The pretty little ruddy ducks close the list.
Domestic The various races of domesticated ducks are derived from local wild stock. In Europe and North America the mal lard has been the chief progenitor, but in the East and in Africa other species have con tributed. The variation resulting from selective breeding and from the mingling of breeds has resulted in about a dozen well-marked varieties, 10 of which at least are recognized at shows. Of these the white Aylesbury and white Pekin, a Chinese duck (introduced to the United States about 1870), are the most popular as table ducks; but the handsomely colored Ruen, a favorite in France, the black Cayuga and the white and colored muscovies are considered profitable to raise. The muscovy duck is not of Russian origin, as its name would imply, but is a native of South America, and is noted for its ornamental plumage, which much re sembles that of our wood-duck. It is therefore reared and kept mainly as an ornamental bird. The crested white is another purely ornamental bird, while several strains of pretty bantams are bred by fanciers in emulation at shows.
The breeding of wild ducks in captivity is becoming a serious business, as well as an amusement of country gentlemen. The National Association of Audubon Societies has led the way by means of its experiment station in Con necticut, and has shown it to be possible to rear a large variety of ducks not before attempted, including canvasbacks, black ducks, teals, gold eneyes, etc.
In addition to general works (see under 13isns) may be mentioned Baird, Brewer and Ridgway, (Water Birds (2 vols., 1905) ; Dionne,