. 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 Anaerican range. I^est. —A bulky mass of plant stems on the Avater among tules, reeds,or cat-tails. Eggs : 9 to 14, creamy or light buffy. The ruddy duck is common over much of the western UnitedStates, and breeds
. 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 Anaerican range. I^est. —A bulky mass of plant stems on the Avater among tules, reeds,or cat-tails. Eggs : 9 to 14, creamy or light buffy. 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 feediiii^- at the bottom of thelake. Goss gives its food as seeds, roots, aud plant stems, shelltishand various forms of life found in both deep aud 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.] Nomohyx dominicus {Linn.). Masked Duck. iSinular to the riuldy duck, hut tail with 20 instead of IS 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 wit
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