The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-02-12
THE DAILY DISPATCH
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JAaHaAaY AlaRniaa. RehruaYY IL, I0Ot
NED Heads Net Canvass Backs.

Ned Heads Net Canvass Backs.
A frieud Of ours, who knows what's wn"
well - any man h Il our fortune to be acda"'a
WI, has lust come from Raleigh. aud hs expresses
his very great surprise that the accomp"'ne1
itor Of the Register should fall into 'ne se's
blunder Of mistakine red heads for canvass Dses
ducks, He avers most positively that the TWO
barrels Of ducks ,eu, to the City OF Oaks were no
rnorr canx..s h.cks than are geese swans He IL
shs mora surnrised st the mistake ef our ctdtrom
ns,sbhor SYM. because he has had opportunities
th., shoc,d have enabled him to know better
Hs h.s hsen rear the Chesapeake and under the
e.necia, privilege of the veteran Commodore
RRorauTos, connoiseur In all salt water luxu-
r,es and game Ct all kinds Our informant exs
presses the fear that his early education must
have been sadly neglected.
Our informant is familiar with aquatic birds Of
ali Isti,udas lie has traversed the waters of all
the zoaes on either side Of the equator, and has
studied the bird we'll He has the habits and traits
of all at his fager 8 euds, from the Brandt to the
Elder Duck the Albatross to the Petrol the Gull to
the Cape Pigeon aud the Red head 10 the Canvass
back. OF ali the aquatic fsathered tribe, he most
prizes The Canvass back, and he prides bimsef
upon bis perfect knowledge of and familiar &C
9uaiutapce with that imperial bird. He describes
his habits accurately, and Ii. excelleneies when
served up, with enthusiasm. Like the swan, he
is hardly ever seen and killed, save IN the waters
Of the Chesapeake, and chiefly in the Potomac
or river Of evans" where he feeds upon the
river celery which Is peculiar to its flats or shoa'
water and which imparts to the flesh OF the Gan
vsss back, the exquisite flavor which distinguishes
Il from sny and all other birds He describes LIS
beauties-its graceful swan-like neck-severai
inches longer than the Red -heads-and It's oeauti-
ful beak, so msch more delicate and neatly taper
ed than tina. If any other duck. Its bones are
smaller and there is more flesh in proportion to
size than L. found any other-it is juicier, swee
ter, more tender and infinitely above all others in
every quality to be priced at the table. These
peculariiies give TO the Canvass back his world.
wide reputation, ard cause him to be sought after
and bought up for the tables of the wealthy cpl
cures and even of ki,gs ard princes. They grace
the tables of the Gear and of Queen Victoria, and
even have travelled to the fowery kingdom, as
dainty dish for the brother of the Sun. Thus has
the famous bird of the Potomac been for at least
an age exalted to distinction, and aristorrstic
positiou from " hich he never desoeuds. He never
10 esteemed st less than four times the value of
Red head.
Now f,r the point of the complaint OF our friend
aforesaid. He considers the canvass back scand.
allied and libe He'd by The report that be bad 'ra1-
yelled to Raleigh, remote interior village, and
there been sold Or % cents. The world is amazed
at the report. The Emperor of Russia and the
other crowned heads of Europe will suffer imper-
ishabie chagrin at the degradation of bird they
had 50 highly appreciated. 1t is to vindcste him
from the error into which our very good friend has
fallen, therefore, that our othertand indignant
friend declares most positively that they were red
heads d not canvass backs that went to Raleigh
and that it is crime against canvass backs to mis-
lake red beads for ihem-which nothing can expi.
ate but deprivation ef the liberty to eat a
vsss back for at least two years. We, however
commend our friend 10 the mercy of Commodore
BAouaHToN, the respected potentate of the king
dom of luxuries against which he has SO seriously
offended.