JACK MINER — NATURAL NATURALIST 6g 



number and remain but a short time. 



The half-tones are from snap shots by an amateur and 

 if studied a little will show how near the Miner family 

 live to their welcome guests. 



Certain individual birds and flocks, with their young, 

 have been identified as returning several successive sea- 

 sons ; one bird in particular, a hen mallard named Deli- 

 lah, bred by Miner, has just returned for the sixth time. 

 She spends each summer at her birthplace and has raised 

 thirty-four ducklings at the home pond. 



Another female mallard named Polly has accompanied 

 Delilah several seasons. From Delilah and Polly, who 

 have raised their broods year after year, always taking 

 them South in the Fall, and other birds tagged at his 

 place. Miner has learned that wild ducks in going to the 

 South and back each year lose ^about 40 per cent, of 

 their number. They all seem to go South by way of the 

 east coast. 



So far as Jack knows, none of the migrants tagged at 

 his place has ever visited the Pacific Coast. 



An interesting aspect of the recurring visits of these 

 birds is the instinct, sagacity and reasoning powers dis- 

 pla3'ed in returning, knowing that they will obtain food 

 and may rest unmolested on their long journeys. 



It is plain that our waterfowl should be credited with 

 much more intelligence than has generally been accorded 

 them. 



