. . lery-fed Canvas-back makes it a desirable bird for themarket, and it is highly prized by the gunner. The Redhead, though classed among the Bay and SeaDucks, feeds mainly in large fresh-water lakes on aquaticplants. It is a good diver, and usually keeps well away fromshore, where it dives to the bottom to pull up the wild celeryand other vegetation on which it feeds. Sometimes it feedsin the mud and marsh along the shore, where it takes insectsand other forms of animal life. Audubon says that he hasfound stomachs of this species c
. . lery-fed Canvas-back makes it a desirable bird for themarket, and it is highly prized by the gunner. The Redhead, though classed among the Bay and SeaDucks, feeds mainly in large fresh-water lakes on aquaticplants. It is a good diver, and usually keeps well away fromshore, where it dives to the bottom to pull up the wild celeryand other vegetation on which it feeds. Sometimes it feedsin the mud and marsh along the shore, where it takes insectsand other forms of animal life. Audubon says that he hasfound stomachs of this species crammed with tadpoles, youngwater lizards and blades of the grasses growing about thebank, also acorns, beechnuts, snails and shells of small fresh-water clams. It feeds by night as well as by day, is usuallynot shy and is readily decoyed. If wounded it will dive andhide among the marsh grass, or sometimes even cling to thevegetation on the bottom, like a Scoter, until life is extinct. 118 GAME BIRDS, WILD-FOWL AND SHORE BIRDS. CANVAS-BACK (Marila valisineria).. Male. Length. — About 21 inches. Adult Male. — Mantle and sides all silvery white, daintily pencilled withfine, wavy lines of dusky; head and nearly all of neck brownish red,darkening on crown and fore face; lower neck all round, a little of upperback, most of breast, rump and tail coverts brownish black; wings andtail gray; below white; legs leaden gray; iris red; bill blackish; feetgrayish blue. Adult Female. — Head, neck and breast dull amber brown or brownish tan,darkest on top of head, grayish on throat; above grayish brown; bellywhite or yellowish white; iris reddish brown; bill and feet as in male. Field Marks. — The white mantle of the male, the flattened forehead andthe long, peculiarly shaped beak of both sexes, and the brown head,neck and fore body of the female, contrasting with the grayish backand flanks, serve to identify this bird. Notes. — A harsh, guttural croak (Elliot). The female, a loud qua
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Keywords: ., bookauthorjobherbe, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookyear1912
