When, however, it is obliged to content itself with a diet chiefly of animal food, or is not properly handled in the kitchen, it becomes merely a very ordinary table bird. The Vallisneria is not found on the Pacific Coast, but in many parts of the interior, and especially in the Chesapeake Bay. The canvas-back being an excellent and strong diver, brings from the bottom the Vallisneria by the roots ; these it bites off and swallows, while the red-head, black-head, and other ducks feed on the refuse grass, or occasionally a root snatched from the canvas-back. At times the water is covered with grass thus pulled up. By the middle of Decem- ber the canvas-back becomes so fat as to have been known to burst open in the breast in falling on the water. In New Orleans it is called " canard cheval." The canvas-back is covered somewhat like the red-head, but there is no reason for the confusion which exists in the minds of so many people regarding the two species. A careful comparison of the following descriptions of the two birds will indicate well-marked differences by which they may always be distinguished. The cook of a Buffalo gentle- man, when asked if she knew the difference between a red-head and a canvas-back replied, "To be sure! one has the head of a fool!" (meaning the canvas-back). CANVAS-BACK. RED-HEAD. Feathers of the head short and Feathers of the head rather smooth. Male with head and neck long, giving it a puffy appearance, of deep chestnut color, the former Male with head and neck chest- sometimes quite blackish. Fore nut red. Fore parts of body, parts of body, wings and tail, black, wings and tail, black, under parts OUR MARKETS. under parts white ; back and sides whitish, waved with black, but the white predominates, and the black lines are faint and much broken up. Female everywhere duller in color than the male. Bill entirely greenish -black, longer than head, nearly as long as middle toe (without claw), nar- row, high at base, and nostrils medium. Iris red. The weight of a pair of good fat canvas-back ducks with feathers on will average six pounds. white ; back and sides whitish, waved with black, the dark waved lines unbroken. Female every- where duller in color than the male. Bill dull blue, with a black belt across the end, shorter than the head, shorter than the middle toe (without claw), broad, depressed ; nostrils within its basal half. Al- ways to be distinguished from other ducks by shape of the bill. Iris yellow. The weight of a pair of good fat red-head ducks with feathers on will average five pounds.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

When, however, it is obliged to content itself with a diet chiefly of animal food, or is not properly handled in the kitchen, it becomes merely a very ordinary table bird. The Vallisneria is not found on the Pacific Coast, but in many parts of the interior, and especially in the Chesapeake Bay. The canvas-back being an excellent and strong diver, brings from the bottom the Vallisneria by the roots ; these it bites off and swallows, while the red-head, black-head, and other ducks feed on the refuse grass, or occasionally a root snatched from the canvas-back. At times the water is covered with grass thus pulled up. By the middle of December the canvas-back becomes so fat as to have been known to burst open in the breast in falling on the water. In New Orleans it is called " canard cheval." The canvas-back is covered somewhat like the red-head, but there is no reason for the confusion which exists in the minds of so many people regarding the two species. A careful comparison of the following descriptions of the two birds will indicate well-marked differences by which they may always be distinguished. The cook of a Buffalo gentleman, when asked if she knew the difference between a red-head and a canvas-back replied, "To be sure! one has the head of a fool!" (meaning the canvas-back). CANVAS-BACK. RED-HEAD. Feathers of the head short and Feathers of the head rather smooth. Male with head and neck long, giving it a puffy appearance, of deep chestnut color, the former Male with head and neck chestsometimes quite blackish. Fore nut red. Fore parts of body, parts of body, wings and tail, black, wings and tail, black, under parts under parts white ; back and sides whitish, waved with black, but the white predominates, and the black lines are faint and much broken up. Female everywhere duller in color than the male. Bill entirely greenish -black, longer than head, nearly as long as middle toe (without claw), narrow, high at base, and nostrils medium. Iris red. The weight of a pair of good fat canvas-back ducks with feathers on will average six pounds. white ; back and sides whitish, waved with black, the dark waved lines unbroken. Female everywhere duller in color than the male. Bill dull blue, with a black belt across the end, shorter than the head, shorter than the middle toe (without claw), broad, depressed ; nostrils within its basal half. Always to be distinguished from other ducks by shape of the bill. Iris yellow. The weight of a pair of good fat red-head ducks with feathers on will average five pounds.

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