1794 



The Cornell Reading-Courses 



ruddy duck. These species secure their food by diving, frequently in watei 

 one hundred and fifty feet deep, which fact forces them to remain beneath 

 the surface for minutes at a time. Their food consists chiefly of small 

 clams, snails, cra^^sh, shrimps, and the seeds and roots of aquatic plants. 

 Their greatest value lies, not in the nature of their food, but in supplying 

 food and sport for the hunting population. While spring shooting was 

 allowed in many States, so that the strong breeding stock that had sur- 

 vived the winter was largely depleted each year, the nimiber of our wild 



Fig. 24. — Wild ducks (bluebills) coming to be fed, within the city of Ithaca 



ducks very rapidly diminished until some species were on the verge of 

 extinction. Since the stopping of spring shooting, however, their nimibei' 

 has gradually increased; and now that the uniform laws of the United 

 States Department of Agriculture have been passed, it is hoped that these 

 birds will soon regain their own, and once more be common on all our lakes 

 and streams. 



In former years many species nested in New York State, and breeding 

 birds with their families of ducklings were not uncommon sights about 

 our lakes and marshes. Most of these have been killed, however, and, 

 as no effort has been made to encourage others to remain, most of them 

 go farther north to breed. There is no reason why our numerous marshes 



