. Birds of North Carolina . North America, breeding mainly northerly, l)Ut locally and rarely as far south evenas the \\est Indies; winters from Maine to (entral America. Range in Korlh Carolina.—Coastal region in winter. Descriptive List • 85 This is one of the smallest as well as the most trustful and unsuspicious of ourducks. It does not decoy readily though it appears to have little fear of the is a strong diver, but when alarmed prefers, if given a fair chance, to escape byflight. This it accomplishes by taking wing slowly along the surface of the waterwith head directly to the
. Birds of North Carolina . North America, breeding mainly northerly, l)Ut locally and rarely as far south evenas the \\est Indies; winters from Maine to (entral America. Range in Korlh Carolina.—Coastal region in winter. Descriptive List • 85 This is one of the smallest as well as the most trustful and unsuspicious of ourducks. It does not decoy readily though it appears to have little fear of the is a strong diver, but when alarmed prefers, if given a fair chance, to escape byflight. This it accomplishes by taking wing slowly along the surface of the waterwith head directly to the wind. It has not been many years since the market-hunter began to shoot these plump little birds, which formerly swam or flew abouthim unnoticed. The high prices they command of late have drawn to them theaim of gunners throughput their range, and as a natural result the Boobies showa marked decrease in number. A popular method of killing is to ring shoot themfrom a number of boats which have surrounded a feeding Fig. 55. Ruddy Duck (adult nmle). Twenty years ago this duck was very common on Currituck Sound and in tliewaters around New Bern. At that time, in Currituck, all ducks other than Canvas-back and Redhead were classed as common ducks, and brought about thirty centsa pair to the market-gunners. In counting the smaller species—among which wasthe Ruddy Duck—foiir specimens were required to make a pair. A peculiarity of this duck in those days was its disinclination to cross land intrying to escape the gunner. A l:)unch that could be worked up a creek, or into anarrow bay, by a careful maneuvering of the boat, would thus afford good shootingwhen the birds finally attempted to escape back to the open water. SUBFAMILY ANSERIN/E (GEESE) Genus Chen (Boie) KEY TO SPECIES 1. Plumage cliiefly grayish brown, tlie rump and wing-coverts bluish gray. Blue Goose. 1. Plumage of adult chieflv white, the young grayish white. See 2. 2. L., to ; W., to
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