82 DUCK SHOOTING. 



1899, Mr. Witmer Stone, in a paper entitled "The 

 Summer Molting Plumage of Certain Ducks," has dis- 

 cussed the subject in a very suggestive way. 



Mr. Stone calls attention to the fact that in only one 

 of our ducks — the old squaw — does the adult male pos- 

 sess a distinct winter plumage which is different from 

 the breeding dress, that the old males of all our other 

 ducks remain in the same plumage from the time they 

 arrive in autumn till their departure northward in 

 spring, and intimates that, judging by analogy, we 

 should suppose that since these ducks show no tendency 

 toward a change of plumage when they leave us in the 

 spring, they must retain the same feathers that covered 

 them during the winter until the end of the breeding 

 season, when a complete molt should occur and a new 

 dress be assumed exactly like the one just shed. 



It is known, however, that this is not the fact, and, as 

 stated, the "plumage after the breeding season" has 

 been described in some species. The first record of 

 this peculiar summer plumage in the male ducks is 

 found in the supplement to Montagu's "Ornithological 

 Dictionary," 1813, under the head of "The Pintail 

 (Daftla acuta)." The observations made on some do- 

 mesticated birds are given as follows : "In the month of 

 June or beginning of July these birds commenced their 

 change of plumage, and by degrees after making a sin- 

 gular mottled appearance, especially on the part of the 

 body which was white before, became by the first week 

 in August entirely of a brown color. The beautiful 

 bronze on the head, the white streak on each side of the 



