. The water birds of North America [microform]. Birds; Water-birds; Oiseaux; Oiseaux aquatiques. 94 SWIMMERS — ANSERES. In summer, feuthera of the back, sciiimlar icfjioii, iiiid jugulum imriowly tipped with light brownisii <,Miiy. Bill uiiil'oiiii dusky , iris yellow ; feet us in the uuile, Init duller in color. Total length, about I'JT") to inches ; extent, 3G.(X) to 4().()0 ; wing, ; commis- sure, ; tarsus, This well-known North American form — the Velvet Duck — is an Arctic species during the breeding-season; and in the I'all, winter, and
. The water birds of North America [microform]. Birds; Water-birds; Oiseaux; Oiseaux aquatiques. 94 SWIMMERS — ANSERES. In summer, feuthera of the back, sciiimlar icfjioii, iiiid jugulum imriowly tipped with light brownisii <,Miiy. Bill uiiil'oiiii dusky , iris yellow ; feet us in the uuile, Init duller in color. Total length, about I'JT") to inches ; extent, 3G.(X) to 4().()0 ; wing, ; commis- sure, ; tarsus, This well-known North American form — the Velvet Duck — is an Arctic species during the breeding-season; and in the I'all, winter, and spring is distributed along the entire Atlantic and the Pacific coasts, to an extent varying with the severity of the season and the abundance of the food. It is eminently a Sea-Duck, resorting to inland waters chiefly during the brief season of reproduction. It is also a winter visitant to the Great Lakes — especially Michigan — and to the rivers of Illinois. It is also said to occur on the Pacific coasts of Asia. Captain Blakiston is very sure that he obtained this species at Chin-Kiang, on the Yang-tse lliver, in China, the specimens there procured being identical with those he saw on the Pacific coast of North America; and he also mentions finding this Duck on Hudson's Bay. INIr. Murray also reports it as occur- ring between Hudson's Bay and Lake Winnipeg; and Mr. Ross met with it on the Mackenzie lliver as far north as the Arctic Ocean. On the New England coast this species makes its appear- ance in the fall from the mid- dle to the last of Se2)tember, coming in flocks of moderate size, the old birds often pre- ceding the young by several weeks. It is universally known from Eastport to the Chesa- peake as the " White-winged ; It is much hunted; and although its fles^ is dark, eoarse, and strongly flavored, it is esteemed by those who have become accus- t(3med to its flavor. In its flight, except when the weather is stormy, this bird passes very hig
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Photo credit: © Library Book Collection / Alamy / Afripics
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1884
