10 DUCKS, GEESE AND SWANS 



foods are abundant, they are not so easily domesticated 

 or handled on game preserves as the fresh water ducks 

 are. It may be when game keeping becomes common 

 in the United States that the more valuable species of 

 sea ducks will be hand-reared as the mallards and some 

 of the other fresh water ducks now are. Since the can- 

 vas backs and redheads command high prices in the 

 markets and are highly prized by sportsmen, the game 

 farmer or game preserver who can successfully multiply 

 them will find the industry profitable, and some inter- 

 esting experiments with these birds could be made in 

 Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota and in other 

 States as far west as Oregon and in the Canadian Prov- 

 inces in localities where the wild celery and wapato and 

 other natural foods of these ducks are abundant. Many 

 sea ducks undoubtedly can be induced to nest in a wild 

 state beside safe and attractive waters, and they should 

 increase in numbers rapidly in places where they are 

 properly looked after and where their natural enemies 

 are closely controlled. 



The mallard undoubtedly is the best duck for the game 

 preserve where hand-rearing is carried on, and the mal- 

 lards are by far the most abundant of all fowl on the 

 English preserves. The dusky duck, often called the 

 black mallard, has been domesticated in many places in 

 America, and it should be reared on preserves quite as 

 easily as the mallard is. In England the teal, sprig- 

 tail and widgeon have been successfully propagated by 

 gamekeepers, and all of the river ducks can be made 

 abundant, without doubt, on American preserves where 

 gamekeepers are employed. Since the wood-duck nests 

 in trees, suitable nesting places should be provided for 



