hunters who had certainly had experience enough not to confound them. They are very similar, but the similarity is more imaginary than real. The canvasback is larger, its head darker, and its bill a deep black, while that of the red-head is deep blue or a slatish color, The shape of the bill of the canvas-back is wedged and long; of the red-head moderately long and concaved. These are simple distinctions to be remembered, and any hunter who fails to remember them is injustifiably ignorant. They are very tenacious of life, their bump of stubbornness being fully developed, and they will dive long distances, and prefer death by any other means than by human agency. When one is crippled, it will usually look around for perhaps a second, to see where the danger lies, then down it goes, and if rushes or cover are near, it is good-bye to that duck,-it will not be seen again. When one is crippled it should be shot again, and at once.

They will only decoy where they are accustomed to feed, or think there is food for them. At such places they come in readily. Decoys of their own kind are best, but red-head decoys are almost as good. To shoot them from a blind, the hunter should be concealed near where they are accustomed to feed, as far into the water as possible from the edge of the shore. A low boat discretely hidden in the rushes makes an excellent blind, but it must be well hid, and as near the open water as possible. The shooter requires a hard hitting gun; a 10 ga. is the proper size, loaded with 5 dms. powder, well wadded, and 1 1-8 oz. No. 4, 5 or 6 chilled shot, No. 4 being the best size. Being swift flyers, the hunter should hold two feet further ahead than his inclination prompts him to do.

Anas Valeineria. Fuligula Valeineria.

Adult Male.-Bill black, the length about three inches, and very high at the base; fore part of the head and throat dusky, irides deep red; breast brownish black. Adult male with the forehead loral space, throat and upper part of the head dusky; sides of the head, neck all round for nearly the entire length, reddish chestnut; lower neck, fore part of the breast and back black; rest of the back, white, closely marked with undulating lines of black; rump and upper tail coverts, blackish; primaries and secondaries, light slate color; tail short, the feathers pointed; lower part of the breast and abdomen white; flank same color, finely pencilled with dusky; lower tail coverts blackish brown, intermixed with white. Length, 22 inches; wing, 9 1-4.

Female.-Upper parts grayish brown; neck, sides and abdomen the same; upper part of the breast brown; belly white, pencilled with blackish; rather smaller than the male, with crown blackish brown.

Weight of male 3 3-4 lbs of female, 2 3-4 lbs.

11

CHAPTER XV.

GREEN-WINGED TEAL.

(Anas crecca.)

The Green-winged Teal are very similar to the Bluewinged Teal in their habits, but they are more hardy. They come later in the fall, and stay until the weather is very cold. Their cry is a peculiar one, being a shrill whistle, which can be heard a long distance through the calm woods. They are found along the mud banks of the rivers, resting quietly on the sheltered shore of a secluded cove, protected from the wind, and where they can enjoy the warm sunshine. I have often gone along the shore where overhanging willows afford excellent blinds, and in my boat slowly drifting or sculled along, have had splendid shooting, jumping them out in pairs from the driftwood along the shores, or as they flew from the grass at the water's edge. They are hardy little fellows and tenacious of life, being expert divers when wounded.

These birds often afford great pleasure to the young hunter, as they are the means of largely swelling the number of ducks killed in a given day. given day. He finds an enclosed pond, where stillness reigns supreme, guided to the spot by the whistling cries of the birds. He crawls to the pond, and in the shallow water sees their little russet bodies moving along closely together, or with sleepy mien passing the time away, half waking and indolently blinking their eyes. The youthful Nimrod restrains as best he can his growing excitement, rest

ing his gun against some friendly tree, sights and looks, then, fearing least his aim should prove faulty, sights and looks at them again. Feeling that his nerves are steady, his eyesight true, his gun is fired into the huddled mass, creating great slaughter, often ten or fifteen birds being killed at one discharge.

These birds are found in overflowed bottom-land, feeding on seeds and willow buds. They are swift flyers, and the shooter should hold far ahead of the moving bird. Like their blue-winged cousins they are delicious eating.

Adult Male.-Bill almost as long as the head, deeper than broad at the base, depressed toward the end, its breadth nearly equal in its whole length, being, however, a little enlarged toward the rounded tip; head of moderate size, compressed; neck of moderate length, rather slender; body full, depressed; wings rather small; feet short, placed rather far back; claws small, curved, compressed, acute; the hind one smaller and more curved; that of the third toe largest, and with an inner sharp edge. Plumage dense, soft, blended. Feathers of the middle of the head and upper part of hind neck very narrow, elongated, with soft filamentous, disuniting bands; of the rest of the head and upper parts of the neck, very short; of the back and lower parts in general, broad and rounded; wings of moderate length, narrow, acute; tail short, rounded and acuminate, of sixteen acuminate feathers; bill black; iris brown; feet light bluish gray; head and upper part of the neck chestnut brown; a broad band narrowing backward from the eye down the back of the neck, deep shining green edged with black below, under which is a white