CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME. 



133 



constantly for a period of about two 

 months after the nest was discovered and 

 the eggs were well along toward hatching 

 when first found. 



At first I thought that the above was 

 the first time pheasants had been known 

 to nest here, but later I discovered that 

 others had hatched broods on several occa- 

 sions in the past and on one or two occa- 

 sions, at least, had reared broods. These 

 birds are undoubtedly some that have 

 escaped or been liberated by private indi- 

 viduals. Several have been liberated here 

 in past years for the purpose of allowing 

 them to breed and increase, but in my 

 opinion these atempts have met with fail- 

 ure, mainly for the reason that the birds 

 were liberated in the foothills and drier 

 portions of the valley, whereas all thai 

 have been known to breed here have done 

 so in the wet places around swamps or 

 along the willow-covered banks of the 

 streams flowing through the valley. I am 

 convinced that if any organized endeavor 

 was made to stock this section with the 

 birds it would be successful, providing the 

 right kind of ground was used — that is, 

 the more moist and covered sections. 



So far as I am able to ascertain, the 

 only birds that have been successful in 

 breeding here are those that have escaped 

 from pheasantries. That even under thesp 

 conditions, however, the birds are getting 

 a slight foothold here is apparent from 

 the increased number of reports of find- 

 ing them heard among the sportsmen and 

 farmers. Edward Wall. 



WHY DUCKS ARE DECREASING. 



A comparison as to the number of dif- 

 ferent species of ducks this year and last 

 would be of no value, unless the condi- 

 tions which may have caused either the 

 increase or decrease were given considera- 

 tion. 



Should I report to you that ducks were 

 scarce this season without telling you of 

 these ■conditions it would not establish 

 Ihe fact that ducks were becoming exter- 

 minated. A variety of conditions make 

 for many changes in habits of waterfowl, 

 especially migratory ducks and geese. I 

 mean to say, climatic, feed, an abun- 

 dance of water, early or late rainfalls or 

 storms. 



To illustrate my meaning : Should there 

 be no early i-ainfall in California, and an 



early cold snap with freezing in the north 

 in October, November, or December, 

 ducks would pass by California and we 

 would see but very few of them, but, 

 should the season be open in the north 

 and with early rains here which would 

 make feed plentiful, these ducks would 

 appear more numerous than ever. Again, 

 should there be a heavy rainfall, as in 

 the case of the present season, enough to 

 insure the growth of the duck feed for 

 next season, then it would insure a large 

 crop of California hatched ducks and an 

 increased number of migratory ducks 

 when the freeze closes the extreme north- 

 ern feeding grounds. 



We must be guided in estimating the 

 number of ducks seen by the conditions 

 existing. If I can know the weather 

 conditions in Oregon, Washington, and 

 British Columbia, knowing the existing 

 conditions here in California, I can surely 

 predict to a certainty the extent of the 

 next crop of ducks, when they will arrive, 

 and the particular species that will take 

 advantage of those conditions. 



Another instance : There were 20,000 

 acres of rice in the Butte Creek country 

 this year' and scarcely any water any- 

 where except that used to irrigate the 

 rice and the waste water running off. 

 Now, the scarcity of water in that portion 

 of the valley forced all the early local 

 ducks into that body of water and they 

 were, apparently, more plentiful in that 

 particular locality than in many years. 

 But had there been early heavy rains 

 these ducks would have scattered over a 

 larger scope of country and then some 

 persons would have said that ducks were 

 becoming scarce. 



The choice varieties — mallard, sprig, 

 canvasback — from the Sacramento Val- 

 ley are nearly all shipped to San Fran- 

 cisco, where there is a good demand and 

 they bring the highest prices ; consequently 

 we have most of the common varieties 

 here on sale — widgeon, spoonbill, etc. 

 Occasionally a few other varieties are 

 sold by what we call "pot hunters" who 

 carry their game to town and peddle it. 

 The proportion of home ducks the past 

 season (1914-15) were apparently more 

 plentiful than the migratory ones, for the 

 reason that the migratory ducks, canvas- 

 back, bluebill, redhead, etc., require more 

 or deeper water than we have, for our 



