. A history of the game birds, wild-fowl and shore birds of Massachusetts and adjacent states : including those used for food which have disappeared since the settlement of the country, and those which are now hunted for food or sport, with observations on their former abundance and recent decrease in numbers; also the means for conserving those still in existence . ucks, which irequent large openwaters, and often cannot be approached under cover. Most ofthe species breed on fresh water in the interior, but a few, par-ticularly the Eider, nest mainly on the coasts and islands of thesea. After
. A history of the game birds, wild-fowl and shore birds of Massachusetts and adjacent states : including those used for food which have disappeared since the settlement of the country, and those which are now hunted for food or sport, with observations on their former abundance and recent decrease in numbers; also the means for conserving those still in existence . ucks, which irequent large openwaters, and often cannot be approached under cover. Most ofthe species breed on fresh water in the interior, but a few, par-ticularly the Eider, nest mainly on the coasts and islands of thesea. After the breeding season they all make toward the sea orthe larger bodies of fresh water, where, with few exceptions, theyfeed largely on shell-fish and crustaceans, which give them arank and fishy flavor. Many of these Ducks are rather heavyand unwieldy in rising from the water, but all fly swiftly andwell. There is a wide variation in appearance not only in thedifferent species but often between different members of thesame species. Descriptions of a species by different authorsrarely agree, unless copied one from the other. This is inpart due to individual variation among the Ducks and inpart to individual variation among authors. In the Scoters,commonly called Coots, for example, the young in passing tomaturity (a process which occupies two or more years) not. 112 GAME BIRDS, WILD-FOWL AND SHORE BIRDS. only change the shades of the plumage more than once, butoften change the color and shape of the bill, the color of thefeet and that of the eye. The immature male may be any-where in shape and color between the young of the first yearand the mature male. One specimen of a species may begrayish brown and another brownish gray; or a bird may begrayish brown before death and change to brownish gray afterdeath. The salmon-colored breast of a Merganser may, afterdeath, change to plain buff, and then fade several shadesafter the specimen is mounted. In some of the Ducks of this group th
Size: 1669px × 1496px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1912
