A species of duck much valued by epicures.

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1784.  “In their Season, delicious Canvass-Backs and Blue-Wings, in Plenty, may be found on his Table, accompanied with an excellent bottle of Irish Claret, as an Element suitable to the last exit of such notable Birds.”—A tavern-keeper’s advt., Maryland Journal, Nov. 2.

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1796.  There is one duck in particular found on this river [the Susquehannah], and also on Patowmac and James rivers, which surpasses all others: it is called the white or canvass-back duck, from the feathers between the wings being somewhat of the colour of canvass.—Isaac Weld, ‘Travels through North America,’ p. 73 (Lond., 1799).

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1806.  

        I prithee, come not up the Chesapeake,
And scare our Canvas-backs to t’other clime.
Verses in Balt. Ev. Post, Feb. 12, p. 2/2.    

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1813.  

        Slow round an opening point we softly steal,
Where four large ducks in playful circles wheel;
The far-famed canvass-backs at once we know,
Their broad flat bodies wrapt in pencilled snow.
A. Wilson, ‘Poems,’ &c. (1876), ii. 149, ‘The Foresters.’ (N.E.D.)    

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1816.  [The Virginians have] frequently, in its season, the exquisite canvass-back duck; with rich catsups, and anchovies.—Henry C. Knight (‘Arthur Singleton’), ‘Letters from the South and West,’ p. 72 (Boston, 1824).

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1817.  Eat your canvas-back ducks! Drink your Burgundy!—John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, May 26.

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1827.  Providence River and Bristol Bay have been thronged with canvass back ducks this fall.—Mass. Spy, Dec. 26.

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1839.  [The public money] never has been applied to the purchase of canvass-back ducks, nor venison, nor even to turn bonds into gold.—Speech of Mr. Wise in Congress: The Jeffersonian (Albany), Jan. 12, p. 381.

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