The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-02-01

Tvs W 'h'hi-tHl HhiH VIII ul> iH'c
this fact. Indeed one highly Ic~pcctu-
BILE authority on botany. which We have
al hand. asserts that there j. no native
species any where in the / nitrd States
Of the sirOng->ccnicd ApIrM. vulgarlv
called celery II grows. however. ~
stated bv Mr. Sutherland. bv the Idle
OF fresh water streams. A. its name of
Celtic origin-irom APoN waier-;rIi-
plies But in the face of this botanical
fact. why make parade of his wonder
ful requirement in botany, because, If
YOU please, from time immcmorial the
jewellers by the Chesapeake waters
nave given the popular. although I'M
proper, name of wild celery 10 Wallis
XERIA, an cntircI Y different plan, it i
true. but one. the root Of which has
pungcnt flavor suggestive of celery. a.
any enc can prove for himself VIII
son, certainly an excellent authority. III
his ornithologv. saws: The roots of
this plant are the frvoriic food of the
canvas-back duck. 10 which The pecu-
liarlv delicate flavor al the flesh Of that
bird has been a>cribrd" Observation
and experiment. Mr. Sutherland 10 the
contrary Notwithstanding. both confirm
Wilson in this statement. - we shall
show a little further on NALsyERIA
sPIRALIS then, the American species.
an hcrbaccous. submersed aquatic plant,
called valisneriu, in honor of Antonio
Nalisncr, an Italian hotaniSl. com
monty called ecl-grasS. because its long
leaves. prominently floating. afford
hiding place for eci> : tapc-grasS. he
cause lis leaves are long and narrow ::
channel-wced, because il grows On flats
extending in area Of growth up to the
channels of considerable streams j. The
food. by common consent. upon the root
Of which the bird in question feed
We have at least settled that much.
Blu, now about the flavor impaired
hy the food Upon this point Mr. Suth-
crIand, who Is exceedingly profound aud
equally ignorant, asserts that the food
has nothing To do with il. That can
a
all. We have ~ hand the data TO di.
prove his statement. and the Wild one
preceding it, that the canvas "fattcns
upon the insects and cru,tac..a which
cluster along the stems of the ell
grass. First and foremost the canvas
back leads the lit of ducks a. a diver
and digger. The shape and strength
of his mandihleS, technically, or popu-
larly speaking bills, show that. They
resemble more closely, than those of
any othor duck, the goosc'- bill. They
are longer wider, and stronger than in
any other species The habit of the
bird explains their use He j. the
strongest. boldest. aud longest diver
coming up frequently with the mud of
the bottom covering his head entirely
He is fastidiouS bird. too. in season.
the late Autumn. when he is in his prime
and while his natural food. the root
of the valisntria or rll-grasS. l. abund.
ant. In The Spring he Is provcrbiallv
an inferior 30 the rcdhrad. simply he
cause his food is changed, he then feed
ing upon soft snail> and cIuSiarea that
imparr to him ii-hv flavor. Besides
his mating season begins earlier than
other ducks, which fact impairs hi>
value for the table. and he leaves ear
Iler in the Spring for his extreme north
crn hatchin. grounds His superiority
Of iIavor. is due solely 20 lis food. aud
were the raukcst fisherman " to cx-
change diets with him, their relative
places in the markets would hc likewise
Glanced
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