. Handbook of birds of the western United States, including the great plains, great basin, Pacific slope, and lower Rio Grande valley . dusky streakfrom corner of mouth to back ofFig. 80. ^ ear; under parts gray, washed with silverv white or : , wing- , bill Distribution. — North America and south to Colombia, breeding- overmuch of its North American rang-e. Nest. — A bulky mass of plant stems on the water among- tules, reeds,or cat-tails. Eggs : 9 to 14, creamy or light huffy. The ruddy duck is common over much of the western UnitedStates, and breed
. Handbook of birds of the western United States, including the great plains, great basin, Pacific slope, and lower Rio Grande valley . dusky streakfrom corner of mouth to back ofFig. 80. ^ ear; under parts gray, washed with silverv white or : , wing- , bill Distribution. — North America and south to Colombia, breeding- overmuch of its North American rang-e. Nest. — A bulky mass of plant stems on the water among- tules, reeds,or cat-tails. Eggs : 9 to 14, creamy or light huffy. The ruddy duck is common over much of the western UnitedStates, and breeds abundantly in places that suit its taste, especiallyin the grass-fringed lakes of the northern plains and the big shallowtule lakes of the Great Basin country. It is a duck of much indi-viduality. It sits jauntily on the water, its spike tail tilted up, andwith bold audacity holds its ground till you are at close quarters,then as you think it is going to fly, and raise your gun for a wingshot, it suddenly dives. Its skill at hiding under water till it hasgained the other side of a point or island would do credit to a grebe,. DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS 65 and has doubtless come from its habit of feeding at the bottom of thelake. Goss gives its food as seeds, roots, and plant stems, shellfishand various forms of life found in both deep and shallow adds that when fat it is a good table duck. My own experienceis that, roasted Indian fashion in the fire with the feathers on, itsmeat is juicy, tender, and of delicious flavor, particularly if you arehungry! Vernon Bailey GENUS NOMONYX. [168.] Nomonyx dominicus {Linn.}. Maskkd Duck. Similar to the ruddy duck, but tail with 20 instead of 18 feathers, andbill smaller with wider nail — nail over .25 wide instead of .10 as in theruddy. Adult male : front of head black ; neck, sides, and back brightchestnut, streaked on back with black ; wings black, with a large whitepatch. Adult female : crown blackish ; side of head with tw
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