DUCK (AS. duce. eonueeted with (1H0. fah ban, taurhen, to dive). The ducks are a large and well-defined group of birds of the order Anseres (q.v.) and the family Anatid:c. They are distinguished frown the swans and geese by having the tarsi scutellate in front and the sexes are unlike in color: and they are separated the mergansers by the shape of the bill, which is broad :Ind flattened. The ducks are largely ani mal feeders ( iws.cts. snails. frogs. fish. etc.). although some species are noted for their fondness for wild celery and some other vegetables. The legs are short and placed far back, so that ducks move with difficulty on land, and with the char acteristic gait known :is a 'waddle,' but they are splendid SW1111111(', and arc noted for their pow ers of diving and swimming, under water. The neck is short as compared with geese or swans. There is a peculiar anatomical feature of the windpipe. consisting of a large dilatation of the trachea on each side at its bifurcation. The tongue is large and fleshy and very sensitive. The plumage is remarkably thick, soft, and emu pact. The wings are stiff, strong. and pointed, giving the power of rapid and vigorous (light. though the speed of wild ducks has probably been exaggerated. The tail is of variable shape and made up usually of 14 or 16 feathers. The oil gland is always present and well developed. with two openings and crowned with a tuft of feathers. The ducks have been easily tamed. and many breeds are known which will he considered hater by themselves.
Wuxi Drays. The ducks are easily divisible into two groups. one of which is usually spoken of as river-ducks (.4 natimr). and the other as sea-ducks (Puligulina-). The latter have an evident lobe or web on the hind too, which is wanting in the river-ducks. These subfamilies are by no means confined to the bodies of water, which might he inferred by the names. for nnuiv of the sea-ducks are abundant on our large in land lakes and rivers. while some of the river clucks are common 'along shore.' The sea-ducks obtain their food principally by diving for it, sometimes descending. it is said. more than 150 feet : they feed by clay and pass the night at some distance from the shore. The river-ducks. on the other hand. feed more commonly at night and rarely dive for their food. but obtain it in shal low water by probing on the bottom. The river ducks are seldom 'Well in flocks of more than fifty, while the sea-du•ks often gather in enormous flocks.
There are something sixty-live or seventy species of river-duck known. occurring pretty gen erally throughout the world, about it dozen being found in the United States. The best known species is the common mallard !Aims bow/tits), which occurs in nearly all parts of the Northern Hemisphere and is undoubtedly the parent form of the domesticated duel:. In the United States it is far more common in the interior than on the coasts; and it is rare in New England. where it is replaced by the dusky or black dunk ( Inns obseura1. The latter is found throughout east ern North and is the commonest river duck of the New England States. It is about the
size of the mallard. lint the general color is dusky brown and the sexes are nearly alike. The lining of the wings is white. The nest is on the ground. of •veeds, grass. and feathers; the eggs are eight to ten in number. dirty yellowish dnib. Like the ether river-ducks. the black duck is tine game and is lv esteemed for the table. fly far the bands, 'nest if .\ merica's river-ducks is the beau tiful er summer duck (.1 i.r de s, ribeil under \\ oiio-DucK. .\nother species of the same genus, the mandarin duck ( li.r yofcri of China, is still more remarkably adorned. though it is not perhaps any handsomer. Other well known river-ducks are the gadwalls, widgeons. shovelers, pintails, and teals. all of which are treated of in the proper places.
If the sea-ducl:s, perhaps fifty or sixty species are known, widely distributed in all parts of the world, of which two dozen occur in North ira, hut 1111):IratiVi•ly %• in the fisouthern llemisphere. .\ s a rule they are not so good eat ing a. the river-ilniiks. as the flesh is so inu•ll coarser and i. often rank. But there are some notable exceptions, such as the well-I:flown van asback ( I ythyn•ria). (41.v.). which is found in suitable localities and at the proper seasons throughout :North .\ inerica. .\ Hied to these are the scaups (ii.v.) and the ring-necked duck LI yth.tor collaris), which has a chestnut hand around the black neck: of the male. The /mai,: I 1, cry strik ing species, which breeds in Arctie regions and winters in the United Stales a. far south as Virginia. and also in Europe and It is easily recognized by the greatly elongated middle pair of tail•feathers. A very interesting duck. now believed to be extinct, is the Labrador duck ("inaiitokrians Labrio/oriasi„ which (orim.rly •urrell on the North .\ tlantie coast as far south as Loniii Island. (See ExtiNfi• _\ ximm..s.1 The ruddy (ick I rubitIft) is a small aril interesting about fifteen inches long, the throat and back rufous chestnut and the breast and belly Tin- striking char aeterist ie is the peculiar il: the 14 are very Oiiirt and the stiff and pointed tail-feathers are hare to their bases. The- ruddy fonnil from northern 'oath America northward to Ilud• son's Ray. and is chiefly migratory in the rnited Closely related to it is the Imrions masked duck bioniateas) of tropical America, tt•llich is hardly more than a foot ling. A very remarkable South .thi•riiian duck is the so-called stii•tmer-duck I II cveiifav rus rim rt us), adult of whieli has lost the power of flight on of the small size of the wings, but it is au expert Unifier. Its um\ cinents are so peculiar. Iniccevcr, as to suggest it sidc•tt heel steamer, cc hence the name. '1 Ile soiealleil Yee of tile wanner parts of .11neriiiit are in reality geese, tilting!' the scientific name of the genus, Dendrocygna, literally meal's 'tree-swan.' also: Itttommit.t.: Evr.; Etiotc: :sorrEtt; .111:RI,ANSElt, etc.; and other names of ducks: see, also. for the ea lit lire if DECOY anti 1 It %APING : for dnek-shooting as a sport, see lltNrixti.