LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN WILD FOWL. 97 



Constant persecution, however, has greatly reduced their ranks, as is the case with the 

 entire duck family, and possibly for this reason their migratory habits have under- 

 gone a marked change. Eight or ten years ago they used to appear in enormous 

 flocks during the first week in October, at which period I have seen on the Nisqually 

 Flats, nearTacoma, what was estimated at about 500,000, all in the air at one time. 

 For the past two or three years, however, no widgeon to speak of have appeared 

 before November or December, and then in such greatly reduced numbers as to 

 give rise to serious fear, not only as to the abundance, but as to the existence of 

 future generations. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Breeding range. — Northwestern North America. East to Hudson 

 Bay, southeastern Manitoba (Shoal Lake), and formerly southern Wis- 

 consin (Lake Koshkonong and Horicon marsh) . South to northern 

 Indiana (English Lake, rarely), perhaps northern Illinois, northern 

 Nebraska (Cherry County), northern Colorado (Boulder County), 

 northern Utah (Bear River), northwestern Nevada (Truckee Valley), 

 and northeastern California (Modoc County). Seen in summer and 

 probably breeding in northwestern New Mexico (Lake Burford) and 

 northern Arizona (Mogollon Mountains). West to the interior of 

 Oregon (Camp Harney) and Washington (Tacoma), central British 

 Columbia (Fraser Valley), and central Alaska (Yukon River). North 

 to northern Alaska (Kotzebue Sound) and northern Mackenzie (Frank- 

 lin Bay) . 



Winter range. — All of North America south of the Northern States. 

 East to the Atlantic coast, rarely from southern New England (Bos- 

 ton), and regularly from Maryland (Chesapeake Bay) southward. 

 South to the Lesser Antilles (St. Thomas, Trinidad, Guadeloupe, St. 

 Croix, etc.) and Costa Rica, West to the Pacific coast of Central 

 America, Mexico, the United States, and southern British Columbia 

 (Vancouver Island). North in the interior to southern Nevada 

 (Pahmmp Valley), central Utah (Provo), northeastern Colorado (Barr 

 Lake) , and southern Illinois (Ohio Valley) . 



Spring migration. — Average dates of arrival: Rhode Island, New- 

 port, March 19; Ontario, Ottawa, April 20; New York, western, 

 March 23; Pennsylvania, Erie, March 24; Ohio, Oberlin, March 17; 

 Michigan, southern, March 25; Colorado, Loveland, March 10; Ne- 

 braska, central, March 17; Iowa, Keokuk, March 15; Minnesota, 

 Heron Lake, March 29; Manitoba, southern, April 20; Saskatchewan, 

 Indian Head, April 24; Alberta, Edmonton, April 17; Mackenzie, 

 Fort Simpson, April 28; Alaska, Knik River, May 10, and Kowak 

 River, May 22. Late dates of departure: North Carolina, Raleigh, 

 April 26; Lower California, La Paz, April 1, and Colnett, April L 



Fall migration. — -Early dates of arrival: Pennsylvania, Beaver, 

 August 30; Massachusetts, Marthas Vineyard, August 31; Maine, 

 Merrymeeting Bay, September 20; Connecticut, East Hartford, Sep- 

 tember 29; Rhode Island, Middletown, September 20. Late dates 



