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Any one of several species of small fresh-water ducks of the genus Anas and the subgenera Querquedula and Nettion. The male is handsomely colored, and has a bright green or blue speculum on the wings.

A group of young animals, especially of young ducks; a brood; a litter. A team of ducklings about her. Holland.

The ruddy duck. [ Local U.S. ]

and broad tails, are chiefly arboreal in their habits, and feed mainly on fruit. -- Tree duck (Zoöl.), any one of several species of ducks belonging to Dendrocygna and allied genera. These ducks have a long and slender neck and a long hind toe. They are arboreal in their habits, and are found in the tropical parts of…

The American scaup duck. [Local, U. S.]

Adorned with a tuft; as, the tufted duck.

A weasel. [Prov. Eng.] Vare widgeon (Zoöl.), a female or young male of the smew; a weasel duck; -- so called from the resemblance of the head to that of a vare, or weasel. [Prov. Eng.]

lso lady crab, and velvet fiddler. -- Velvet dock (Bot.), the common mullein. -- Velvet duck. (Zoöl.) (a) A large European sea duck, or scoter (Oidemia fusca). The adult male is glossy, velvety black, with a white speculum on each wing, and a white patch behind each eye. (b) The American whitewinged scoter. See Scote…

To walk with short steps, swaying the body from one side to the other, like a duck or very fat person; to move clumsily and totteringly along; to toddle; to stumble; as, a child waddles when he begins to walk; a goose waddles. Shak. She drawls her words, and waddles in her pace. Young.

The duck mole. See under Duck.

The ruddy duck. [Local, U. S.]

ew; -- so called from the resemblance of the head to that of a weasel. Called also weasel duck. -- Weasel lemur, a short-tailed lemur (Lepilemur mustelinus). It is reddish brown above, grayish brown below, with the throat white.

Having webbed feet; palmiped; as, a goose or a duck is a web- footed fowl.

A sound like a half-formed whistle, expressing astonishment, scorn, or dislike. Whew duck, the European widgeon. [Prov. Eng.]

histle well ywet. Chaucer. Let's drink the other cup to wet our whistles. Walton. Whistle duck (Zoöl.), the American golden-eye.

lian shrike thrush (Colluricincla Selbii). (b) The song thrush. [Prov. Eng.] -- Whistling duck. (Zoöl.) (a) The golden-eye. (b) A tree duck. -- Whistling eagle (Zoöl.), a small Australian eagle (Haliastur sphenurus); -- called also whistling hawk, and little swamp eagle. -- Whistling plover. (Zoöl.) (a) The golden pl…

The velvet duck.

Any one of several species of fresh-water ducks, especially those belonging to the subgenus Mareca, of the genus Anas. The common European widgeon (Anas penelope) and the American widgeon (A. Americana) are the most important species. The latter is called also baldhead, baldpate, baldface, baldcrown, smoking duck, whea…

ia semipalmata); -- called also pill-willet, will-willet, semipalmated tattler, or snipe, duck snipe, and stone curlew. Carolina willet, the Hudsonian godwit.

will bear the winter, or which may be converted into fodder during the winter. -- Winter duck. (Zoöl.) (a) The pintail. (b) The old squaw. -- Winter egg (Zoöl.), an egg produced in the autumn by many invertebrates, and destined to survive the winter. Such eggs usually differ from the summer eggs in having a thicker s…