IV-462 



served for Department game biologists as a qrim warning 

 of what might be expected in the days to come. Immed- 

 iate efforts were made to initiate a clean-up operation 

 and a series of contracts with the oil company and mun- 

 icipal officials and landowners was made in an attempt 

 to expedite clean-up. Cut as negotiations proceeded 

 the death toll grew. Dead, oil -encased birds appeared 

 with greater frequency along the shore. Except for body 

 form, these black, shrouded shapes with not a feather 

 visible could hardly be recognized as ducks. 



'' A census of dead ducks was started on December 21. 

 At the end of the first week of the investigation, 995 

 dead ducks had been counted in the Greater Hew Haven 

 Harbor area. Of the dead ducks counted, approximately 

 400, or 40 percent were dabbling ducks, and 595, or 60 

 percent were diving species. Virtually all of the dab- 

 blers seen were black ducks with only a few (one) mal- 

 lard and (two) baldpate observed. The dead diving ducks 

 counted included approximately 300, or 30 percent scaup, 

 140 or 14 percent goldeneyes, 60, or 6 percent canvas- 

 backs, and the remaininn 10 percent included 35 scoters, 

 30 old squaw, 20 buffi ehead, .and 10 mergansers. 



"In additon to ducks, other species affected included 



