(Aythya vallisneria)
The canvasback, the duck par excellence of the Eastern states, is very
plentiful in the more northern portions of the territorial scope of
these articles, though I have seen them in good numbers on the lakes
of Mexico. It is the general supposition that the canvasback breeds in
the far north, but from the fact that they are found on the lakes of
Mexico as early as October, they must also breed on the higher lakes
of our mountains. On our lower marshes they are a late duck, but they
appear on our mountain lakes quite early in the season. Canvasback
shooting on our waters affords the finest of sport, as it does not
partake so much of flock shooting as it does on the Chesapeake and the
Delaware rivers. While I certainly prefer our shooting, by no means do
I prefer our ducks. When killed on the mountain lakes, our canvasback
possesses nearly if not quite as fine flavor as do those of the
Eastern states, but when killed on the bays and salt marshes of
California they are fishy and barely palatable. This is caused by the
absence of the so-called wild celery, properly tape grass
(=Vallisneria spiralis=), the common food of the Eastern canvasback.
Our birds have the habit of feeding largely on the shallow waters of
the tide lands and marshes and of consuming large quantities of
crustaceans, such as clams, crabs, mussels and the like, and it takes
but a few days' diet of this kind to make the canvasback about the
poorest of ducks. I have killed these ducks on the high lakes and
ponds of Mexico, when, on account of something they fed upon, they
were really unfit to eat.
=Color=--Male--Head and neck, nearly black; back, light gray; bill,
black, and forming nearly a straight line from the tip to the crown of
the head; belly and flanks, nearly white.
Female--Head and neck, cinnamon brown, paler on the throat; back, dark
gray.
=Nest and Eggs=--The nest of the canvasback is generally found on some
little knoll in the marsh, and is lined with dead grass and feathers,
and often with considerable down. The eggs, which are about ten in
number, are of a dark creamy white.
=Measurements=--Total length, from 18 to 22 inches; the more northern
birds within the territory here covered will always be found
considerably larger than those of the more southern latitudes. Wing, 8
to 9-1/2 inches, and bill about 2-1/2 inches.
[Illustration: RED-HEAD (Aythya americana)]