LABRADOR DUCK. I73 



siderable number in Fulton and Washington Markets of 

 New York. They were mostly females and young males, 

 a full-plumaged male being exceedingly rare. Some- 

 times there would be as many as a dozen hanging to- 

 gether, and then weeks might elapse before any more 

 were seen. At that time, while it was remarked that it 

 was a curious circumstance that only females or young 

 males were to be had, no one imagined that the species 

 was approaching extinction; for when immature birds 

 existed there must be both parents somewhere. Gradu- 

 ally, however, the specimens became fewer, and appeared 

 at longer intervals, until they disappeared entirely. Dur- 

 ing the twenty years between 1850 and 1870 a few full- 

 plumaged males were obtained, and one of the finest I 

 ever saw I bought from a taxidermist in Brooklyn, who 

 had it at the time in the flesh. During the periods of 

 which I speak, there would have been no difficulty in pro- 

 curing quite a large series of females and young males, 

 but as it was supposed these could be obtained whenever 

 wanted, they were neglected. 



The cause of the disappearance of this Duck no one 

 knows. Various attempts have been made to account 

 for it, but none has been satisfactory. By some natu- 

 ralists it is conjectured that it was brought about by the 

 destruction of the eggs, but we have no reason to sup- 

 pose that any more eggs of this species were destroyed, 

 from any cause whatever, than were those of any other 

 Duck. It was not exterminated by man with the gun, 

 for he did not get a chance — the birds gave him too few 

 opportunities. Being strong of flight as well as a skill- 

 full diver, there was no reason why, if necessary, it could 

 not have easily and rapidly conveyed itself away from any 

 threatened danger, and no matter how the fact of its ex- 

 tinction is regarded and what were its possible causes, 



