66 JOURNAI, OF MAINE ORNITHOI<OGlCAL SOCIETY. 



and late the year following, or, again, why they abandon a course 

 altogether. Take, for example, the American Golden-eye {Clangula 

 americana) . In former years and until quite recently it has been one 

 of the most numerous of the diving fowl in the open water of the bay, 

 and hundreds of them were shot every year. I doubt if a dozen 

 birds were taken this year, or twice that number seen here. They 

 are expert divers and well able to take care of themselves. They are 

 not exterminated. I doubt if their numbers are diminished at all, 

 but they certainly have changed their route of migration, for the 

 present at least, yet they are liable to be with us in increased num- 

 bers any year. 



The only species not showing a marked decrease this year was 

 that grand old stand-by, the Dusky, or Black Duck. From the last 

 of August until late in November the number of these elegant birds 

 present in the bay was probably even greater than last year, and 

 from feeding so long on the wild rice, which was never so abundant 

 here, they became exceedingly fat and of fine flavor, and late in the 

 season could be numbered by the thousands. 



They early became educated to the ways of the modern gunner, 

 however, with his repeating shotgun, or, still worse, "Automatic" 

 (wdiich fires six shots in three seconds), and after feeding on the 

 rice during the night, the only time they are safe, they wisely take 

 themselves out of the bay at the first signs of daybreak, flying sea- 

 ward, only to return again long after dark. 



This flock increases daily until in October there are so many of 

 them that the noise made in rising from the water in the still morn- 

 ing air is something awe-inspiring and never to be forgotten. It is 

 like the roar of some mighty cataract, or the awful rumbling of an 

 earthquake, and almost fills one with fear as the uncanny sound 

 continues second after second, until the whole flock rises from the 

 water and takes wing. 



This wise habit of daily migrating is doubtless the salvation of 

 Anas obsciira and makes his tribe safe from extinction. 



There are times when, with one accord, they decline to go sea- 

 ward until driven. These occasions are very rare, however, usually 



