The wild fowl of the United States and British possessions - or, The swan, geese, ducks, and mergansers of North America (1898) (14749938354)

Identifier: wildfowlofunited00elliot (find matches)
Title: The wild fowl of the United States and British possessions : or, The swan, geese, ducks, and mergansers of North America ...
Year: 1898 (1890s)
Authors: Elliot, Daniel Giraud, 1835-1915
Subjects: Game and game-birds Anatidae
Publisher: London : Suckling
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries



Text Appearing Before Image:
of Texas, and generally nests in rather high groundin the midst of trees or low bushes, and is not particularabout being near water. Its nest is lined with down, andthe eggs are covered when the female goes ofi for anypurpose. They are laid in May. and resemble thoseof the Pintail somewhat, and are a pale bufify white.The male moults while the female is incubating.She takes her turn later. About the latter part of Sep-tember the young are nearly full grown, and those thathave bred in the far North commence their long journeysouthward. Widgeon are generally observed in smallflocks of from six to two dozen, although occasionallygreat numbers have been seen assembled together, butthis is rare. Ihey go much with the Canvas Back andRed Head, and when these dive in the deep water andbring to the surface tender grasses and succulent roots,the \\idgeon are very busy indeed stealing these de-sired objects from their rightful owners, and grow veryfat on the fruits of such pilfering habits. ii8
Text Appearing After Image:
WIDGEON. 119 It is essentially a fresh-water species, and keeps tolakes and rivers, and when these freeze resorts to soundswithin the beach, where the water may be brackish, ortravels on southward to milder climes. The Widgeonis one of the wariest of our Ducks, suspicious of every-thing, and not only is unwilling to approach any spot orobject of which it is afraid, but, by keeping up a contin-ued whistling, alarms all the other Ducks in the vicinity,and consequently renders itself very disagreeable andat times a considerable nuisance to the sportsman. How-ever, its flesh is so tender and palatable, and it is such apretty and gamy bird, that one is inclined to forgive manyof its apparent shortcomings. The usual note of thisDuck is a low, soft whistle, very melodious in quality, andwhen on the wing the members of a flock keep continu-ally talking to each other in this sweet tone as they speedalong. They fly very rapidly, and usually high in theair, in a long, outstretched line, all abre