. . rface mud or tipping their bodies forward andthrusting their heads and necks under water. They feedlargely on succulent water plants and various forms of animallife. The males of most species appear to undergo a doublemolt in summer, during which they take on the eclipseplumage, much resembling that of the female. These Ducksare in great demand, both for food and sport, and their habitof feeding near the shore gives the gunner his need special protection. They have been diminishingin numbers for years in New Engl
. . rface mud or tipping their bodies forward andthrusting their heads and necks under water. They feedlargely on succulent water plants and various forms of animallife. The males of most species appear to undergo a doublemolt in summer, during which they take on the eclipseplumage, much resembling that of the female. These Ducksare in great demand, both for food and sport, and their habitof feeding near the shore gives the gunner his need special protection. They have been diminishingin numbers for years in New England, and all but one or twohave become rather rare in most of this region. Protectionin spring and summer will tend to bring them back to theirformer haunts, as they are quick to find places of safety; but,unless the laws are respected and enforced, we cannot expectany lasting or permanent increase in the numbers of thesewary birds. BIRDS HUNTED FOR FOOD OR SPORT. 71 MALLARD (Ayias plaiyrhynchos).Common or local names: Green-head; Gray Duck (female and young).. Female. Male. Length. — ^S to H inches. Adult Male. — Head and most of neck iridescent green; a white ring almostentirely around neck, broken only on the nape; lower neck and upperbreast chestnut; center of back brown, graying over shoulders andblackening toward tail; wings brownish gray; wing patch or speculumviolet, bordered in front and behind with black and white; feathersunder tail black; rest of under parts silver gray, finely cross-lined withblack on the flanks, which end in white; a tuft of up-curled feathers ontail; bill and legs yellow; feet reddish orange; iris brown. Adult Female.—^ Above dark brownish; feathers edged with buff; throatbuff; speculum like that of male; head and neck lighter than body andfinely mottled; top of head dark, as also an inconspicuous line througheye, and often another from lower part of bill crossing cheek then curv-ing downward; breast brownish buff, marked with black; below
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Keywords: ., bookauthorjobherbe, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookyear1912
