376 Fay, The Canvas-back in Massachusetts. Loct! 



ners. That seems a fair estimate, for it is reasonable to assume 

 that there were other Canvas-backs killed of which there is no 

 record. The only other pond where these ducks are taken on this 

 island is Watcha (or Fresh Pond, as it is sometimes called), and 

 though I could get no definite dates, Mr. E. F. Adams, one of the 

 local gunners, who follows the duck shooting closely during the 

 fall, estimates that there were fully twenty-five Canvas-backs 

 killed there in 1909. That makes a total of approximately seventy- 

 five Canvas-backs killed on the island for the fall of that year. 

 Taking into consideration also the large number seen, it only 

 shows more conclusively that the Canvas-back is increasing in 

 this State where the conditions are suitable. If it were only pos- 

 sible to get all the records for Martha's Vineyard for the last five 

 years we would have a set of records that would be extremely in- 

 teresting, and it would then be easier to trace back and see pre- 

 cisely how much these ducks have increased the last few years. 

 The year 1909 certainly was a banner year, and undoubtedly the 

 greatest flight of Canvas-backs took place in Massachusetts that 

 to our knowledge has ever occurred. However, we cannot, I 

 think, look upon it as anything so extraordinary, because this duck 

 has increased so steadily since 1905. In fact, it is only reasonable 

 to expect such an occurrence. 1910 may not show another such 

 flight, but undoubtedly there will be a great many of these ducks 

 killed. Though by far the greatest number in 1909 were taken 

 on Martha's Vineyard, the rest of the records are so evenly dis- 

 tributed over the coast of Massachusetts that every county 

 bordering oh the ocean came in for its share. This shows that 

 the flight was general and not limited to any locality, and that 

 wherever the feed and conditions were suitable Canvas-backs 

 appeared. 



From this table as a whole we see very plainly how these ducks 

 have increased the last few years, beginning with 1905. That seems 

 to be the time when the marked change became perceptible. 

 No doubt because of a more general interest in ornithology lately, 

 more records of our uncommon birds are noted than previously, 

 and that may account somewhat for the records being more com- 

 plete recently. On the other hand, I was informed by one man 

 that he had not taken pains to note all recent occurrences, as he 



