o70 Hollister, Abundance of Wild Ducks. [july 



Canvas-back (Marila valisineria) 34 2.9 



Pintail (Dafila acuta) 32 2.7 



Baldpate (Mareca americana) 30 2.51 



Redhead (Marila americana) 30 2.51 



Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator).. . 25 2.14 



Greater Scaup Duck (Marila marila) 20 1.71 



Ruddy Duck (Erismatura jamaicensis) 18 1.54 



American Merganser (Mergus americanus) . . . 13 1.11 



Gadwall (Chaulelasmus streperus) 10 0.85 



Old-squaw (Harelda hyemalis) 8 0.71 



American Scoter (Oidemia americana) 6 0.49 



White-winged Scoter (Oidemia deglandi) 4 0.34 



Black Duck (Anas rubripes) 4 0.34 



Surf Scoter (Oidemia perspicillala) 3 0.25 



1,167 100 per cent 



In estimating the actual relative abundance of the birds, from 

 records of this kind, allowance must be made, of course, for the 

 size of the flocks; as mentioned by Mr. Leopold in the paper 

 above cited. The Golden-eyes, Buffleheads, and Hooded Mer- 

 gansers, for instance, commonly occur in small groups, and the 

 proportion killed to those seen is far greater than in the case of 

 the 'Blue-bills,' which frequently decoy in very large flocks. The 

 ducks which habitually gather in small bunches are consequently 

 much more rapidly reduced in numbers on an open lake than are 

 the species that occur in great flocks. 



Some of the species run about even in the records for spring 

 and fall. With others, the Lesser Scaup and Pintail for instance, 

 the figures for spring greatly outnumber those for autumn. If 

 the Pintail had beeen as abundant in fall as it was in spring it 

 would have ranked much higher in the above list. The Mallard, 

 Teals, and Wood Duck were protected in spring in Wisconsin 

 during all this period, and consequently were not regularly hunted 

 at that season; so that the figures for these birds are relatively 

 low as compared to those for some other species, like the Canvas- 

 back, Baldpate, and Redhead, which were taken in about equal 

 numbers during spring and fall migrations. The Hooded Mer- 

 ganser, Buffle-head, and Golden-eye were most commonly killed in 

 fall, as follows: 



