346 CHILDREN'S BOOK FOR SABBATH flOURS.

 often manages to rob him of his well-earn-
 TEAL AND DUCKS. ed food. The Widgeon never dives, but he
 i E have here a beautiful water watches the Canvass-Back, and when he
 scene. It is a secluded spot, has brought up the roots of a particular
 Sfar away from the abode of kind of plant that the Widgeon is very
 man, where the wild ducks and fond of, and before he gets his eyes fairly
teal-a water-fowl nearly allied to the open, he snatches the morsel from his
common duck, but smaller-can make mouth and makes off with it. We think
their home in safety. such mean robbery deserves punishment.
 They have chosen an enchanting spot, The Eider Duck, as many of our young
in the midst of calladiums and various readers know, is the bird which supplies
tropical water plants and grasses, and the the soft, light, and warm material which
magnificent Victoria-regia. The leaf of is so well known under the name of
this superb lily is so large and strong that "eider-down." The plumage of the bird
a teal is walking upon it. is very dense and very fine.
 These birds, old and young, are look- The Eider Duck is found in the arctic
ing up a little suspiciously, as though and antarctic regions, but its principal
aware of our nearness to them, and sev- home is Iceland.
eral have taken their flight. Spite of all their disadvantages, the
 There are a great many different kinds Icelanders think their country the best
of ducks. There are over thirty dif- on the face of the earth, and it would
ferent species found on this continent, seem as if the ducks thought so too, they
The common wild duck is found both in live there in such numbers, and make
America and in Europe. themselves so much at home.
 Among the different kinds of ducks The Eider Duck abound all along the
are the following: the Muscovy, Canvass- coast, and there are several islands where
Back, the Summer or Wood, the Black, they are allowed to have their own way
Sprig-Tail, the Blue and the Green Teal, and do as they like.
the Eider, Tufted, and Bridal Duck. Let us take a peep at them in the
 The Muscovy are so called from a breeding-time. The first thing that meets
strong smell of musk that exhales from us when we land is a low stone wall, of
its body, and not because it comes from which every alternate stone has been
Russia, as some suppose. taken out, and in each hole thus left, a
 The Canvass-Back is peculiar to this duck is very comfortably sitting on its
country. On the Susquehannah it is eggs. On the grass plat, just beyond,
called Canvass-Back; on the Potomac, there are such numbers you could not
White duck; and on the James, Shel- step between them. We walk up to
drake. Another species called Wid- the house of the man who lives on the
geon, attends the Canvass-Back, and island, and the roof is covered with