74 DUCKING DAYS 



sight of these large numbers of waterfowl. This year 

 they have not been fed, owing to the orders of Hoover 

 & Co. Still there have been thousands of birds fre- 

 quenting the neighborhood of the lake. The bay is full 

 of bluebill, many thousands being in the shallow waters 

 off Berkeley shore. One marvels at their boldness in 

 venturing so close to civilization. 



^ * The ducks are beginning to leave, ' ' said Lee Kerf oot, 

 superintendent of the parks. "It may seem odd, but it 

 is nevertheless a fact that the ducks begin to leave here 

 each year as the hunting season nears its end. They 

 come here in the autumn, just before the hunting season 

 opens. Instinct undoubtedly warns them of the ap- 

 proaching slaughter and instinct tells them that they 

 will be protected from all harm in the waters of Lake 

 Merritt. I have watched them year after year and know 

 that this is true. 



"This annual pilgrimage of the ducks is one of Oak- 

 land's greatest features and has received the admiring 

 comment of thousands of out-of-town people who visit 

 the city during the \vinter months." 



California Bags 



I have lately returned from a trip to Merced County, 

 CaJifomia, the home of the fresh-water ducks. Here I 

 shot out of a pit dug in the ground on a small island in 



