The Cecil Whig., 1874-01-31
The Ducks Of the Chesapeake Bay and
its Tributaries.
BY O. d. FOUI.ES.

creamy Wnlte, without Spots, Sizes Ol u
head from around the eye to the nap
glossy green; the chin dusky; forepart
breast and sides of body light brownish,
chocolate red, each feather with near
E. hidden greyish edge; rest of under par
white; crissum black; the back, scapula
and rump finely waved transversely wit
reddish grey; a little of the same wavin
on the side; lesser wing coverts grey: mi(
die and greater, white, the latter termina
ed by black, succeeded by q grass-gree
speculum edged with black.
Female: Head and neck spotted to til
bill; wings as in the male; the grey of th
lesser wing coverts extending over the mic
die ones; back and scapulars with broa
and distant transverse bars of reddis
white.
Length, 21.75; wings, II; stretch @
wings, $3.50.
This is one of our most common duck
in the spring. 1t decoys well at any tim
to canvas-back, red-head, or black heat
decoys. The moment it discovers th
the ducks are not real, it rises perpendicu
larly into the air. after the manner of th
black duck, giving the gunner a fair sho
for nearly minute. They are easily dis
tinguished at distance by their lons
wings, and by their continual and peculiar
cry or whistle, sounding like wbe,c, achem
with nasal twang. The blackish CHR
and pure white crown appear only in very
highly plumaged specimens.
English Widgeon, (Mareca Penelope. J.
Head and neck reddish brown, without
bars; very small green patch around the
eye. In other respects similar to the bald
pate.
Length, 90 inches; wing, 1860; stretch
of wings, $3.50
This is another of our rarest ducks, it is
more frequently found along the coast of
Carolina and Florida than in the waters of
Chesapeake bay. Several years ago I pur-
chased specimen from grain dealer in
Havre de Grace. | saw specimen last
winter that had been purchased from Rob
bins e Bro, of Fifth street market, Phila-
delphia. The principal difference between
this duck and the preceding is in the
head and neck. This is of a reddish
brown, or cinnamon color, not barred; the
cheeks and chin with small spots; the un-
der wing coverts are ash grey, instead of
white, as in the preceding.
Summer Duck, (Aix Sponsa) - Male,
head and crest metallic green to below the
eyes; cheeks and stripe behind the eye
purplish; narrow line from the upper
angle of the bill along the side of the
crown and through the crest another on
the upper eyelid, a stripe starting behind
and below the eye, and running into the
crest, the chin and upper part of the throat,
with branch toward the eye and another
toward the nape, white; lower neck and
sides of the base Of tail purple; the throat
with spots of white; back and neck brouz-
ed green and purple; under parts white;
crescent in front of the wing white, border
ID behind by black; sides yellowish grey,
inely lined with black; long feathers of
he tlanks black at the end; greater coverts
violet; speculum greenish, tipped with
white; scapulars and innermost tertial vel
yet black.
Female: Wings quite similar; the back
more purplish; sides of the head and neck
lshy; the purple of the lower throat re-
placed by brownish; base of the bill, |
,atch through the eye, and the chin white. |
Length, 10 inchos; wing, $50; stretch of
wings, 1880.
This duck suppose is known to almost |
very sportsman. 1t is very seldom decoy-
d for here. 1t leaves before the other
ucks arrive. The usual way of shooting
hem is for the gunner to conceal himself
t the mouth of d small creek and pick
hem off as they fly in and out in the morn
ng and evenings.
Big Black-head, Bay Black-head, (Fulix
Head and neck all round.
lgulum and shoulders, lower part OF back,
all, and coverts black; the head with
loss of dark green on the sides. Rest of
nderparts white; feathers on the lower
art of belly and on the sides, the back
hite waved in zigzag with black. Great
+ and middle wing coverts similarly mark
i, but more finely. Speculum white,
ordered behind by greenish black; the
hita L
ortion of the secondaries. Bill blue with
all black.
Female: Head brown; the region all
,und the base of the bill white; the un-
ilations of black and white on the fcath-
5 wanting, or but family indicated above.
ength, 90 inches; wing, Q; stretch of
ings, 34.50.
Next to the little black head this is our
ost common duck. 1t is considered by I
me to be as fine duck for table use as the
d-head, it being equally as large. They :
coy well at any time and to any kind of
'coys, even pitching to the corks of float |
G gill nets and hauling seines. When {
ack-heads are flying the sportsman can 5
ways depend on good shooting.
Little Back-head, Blue-bill, (Fulix Afli t
s).-Male, Head, neck, forepart of breast, |
ok anterior to the shoulders, lower part |
back, tall and its coverts, black; head |
th violet purple reflection; the belly S
d sides white; the lower part of the bel a
marked with fine black spots; wings !
ackish; the lesser and middle coverts a
rinkled with greyish; middle back white, S
th fine zig gag bands of black; speculum C
lite, the white running across the middle O
the secondares. a
Female: The black replaced by brown a
1; the region round the base of the bill II
litisE; the mottling on the back almost q
tirely wanting. a
Length, 1880 inches; wing; stretch of t
ngs, 1915. |,
This duck is the most common of all the a
cks Of Chesapeake bay, far exceeding all t
, rest in numbers, filling every river and .
We with their countless thousands. They p
coy equally as well, if not better, than l.
, big black-head, as have often drawn II
a bunch by merely throwing pebbles Ito d
Ike a splash around floating block. g