148 PROPAGATION OF WILD BIRDS 



more so, and wild ducks have resorted more and more to it. 

 Each year a number of pairs of black duck and wood duck 

 have raised their young on the premises. This makes quite 

 a gathering of native ducks by the end of the summer. 



In late August each year, or by September i, systematic 

 feeding of the ducks is begun, by the placing of quantities of 

 whole yellow corn in two of the ponds in shallow water and 

 on the shore. The presence of the native stock contentedly 

 feeding draws in every other duck that flies within sight, and 

 by October there are Hterally thousands of them. Espe- 

 cially early in the morning, when I have startled the assem- 

 bled throngs, it has seemed that the whole pond was being 

 lifted bodily as they rose. The owner, who is experienced 

 with wildfowl, estimates that in the height of the migration 

 there have been as many as 15,000 ducks on the place at 

 one time. Large and increasing numbers remain to breed, 

 mostly black ducks, but also numbers of wood ducks. The 

 starting of additional duck-food plants would further en- 

 hance the effectiveness of such a place. 



It is now well proved that the presence of resident or cap- 

 tive ducks in a suitable locaHty, such as the above, serves to 

 attract and even hold ducks in the strictly wild state. On 

 the Childs-Walcott place each fall and winter the pinioned 

 ducks on the pond are joined by considerable numbers of 

 various species. Even wild canvasbacks, redheads, green- 

 winged teal, and others spent most of the winter there, even 

 when the water was frozen, except for a small area kept open 

 by the captive ducks and geese. Many wild black ducks, 

 wood ducks, and mallards undoubtedly were induced to re- 

 main and breed in the vicinity, attracted by the captive 

 ducks and their free offspring which bred all about, as well 

 as by the planting of wild celery and other food-plants, by 

 methods described farther on. 



