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Published by the Society on the first of March, June, September and December 

 Vol. VII DECEMBER, 1905 No. 4 



The Ducks of MerrxmeeHng Bay in the Season of 1905. 



By Frank T. Noble. 



The duck shooting at Merrymeeting Bay the past season (1905), 

 has not been up to the expectations of many who participated in 

 the grand shooting afforded on this sheet of water and the adjacent 

 streams the previous year (1904). The large and heretofore un- 

 usual flights of Mallards, Widgeons, Redheads and Gadwalls which 

 visited and hung about the bay so persistently last year were almost 

 entirely absent, while the coming of the Bluebills (Greater and Lesser 

 Scaup) , usually so plentiful in October, was waited for day after day 

 in vain, and only a few insignificant bunches put in an appearance at 

 all. Blue-winged and Green- winged Teal were not nearly as al)un- 

 dant as last year, although a few good-sized flocks of the former were 

 present early in the season. The Ruddy Ducks, or the Broadbills, 

 as the gunners call them, usually so common in October, deferred 

 their coming until the morning after the big storm of October 12. 

 Then they came in large numbers and hundreds were shot, but this 

 seemed to be the beginning and end of the flight, for only scatter- 

 ing ones were seen afterwards. 



Many theories are expressed as to why these various species of 

 Ducks were so abundant last year and so scarce this season. We 

 can but surmise. We are utterly unable to fathom the Ducks' 

 reasoning for migrating over one particular course one season and 

 over a different one the next, or as to why they come early one year 



