Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 499 



20. BLUE-WINGED TEAL 



QUERQUEDULA DISCORS (Linnieus) 



A beautiful little duck, but rare at Maxinkuckee. Our only 

 record is of a fine male, secured May 11, 1885, by Sam. J. Hunt- 

 singer. It measured: length 16 inches; wing 7.75. 



21. SHOVELLER 

 SPATULA CLYPEATA (Linnieus) 



Apparently one of the rarest ducks of this region. Our only 

 record is of a female shot November 17, 1906. 



22. PINTAIL 



DAFILA ACUTA (Linnseus) 



The Pintail or Sprig is not common, and is seen only as a spring 

 and fall migrant. On October 26, 1900, Mr. Chad wick saw sev- 

 eral on the lake and on March 2, 1901, 6 were shot and others were 

 seen. On December 12, 1904, one, apparently a young male, was 

 shot; this was 22} inches long and weighed 1 pound, 12 ounces. 



On the Kankakee marshes northwest of Maxinkuckee this duck 

 is more abundant. 



23. WOOD DUCK 

 AIX SPONSA (Limueus) 



This, the most beautiful of all our ducks, was formerly abund- 

 ant as a summer resident at Maxinkuckee and throughout Indiana. 

 Scarcely was there a small lake or pond that did not have at least 

 one pair during the breeding season and a flock of a dozen or more 

 in the fall. But now it is very rare. Several were seen March 

 20, 1901 ; a hunter got 4 on October 3, 1899 ; and one seen in an 

 open pool January 2, 1901. Undoubtedly the Wood Duck is more 

 abundant on the Kankakee, a few miles west of Lake Maxinkuckee, 

 than any place else in the state. The heavily timbered swamp land 

 along that river furnishes an ideal breeding ground for these ducks. 

 During a day in October (the 16th) 1913, spent on the Kankakee 

 the senior author saw perhaps a hundred examples of this beautiful 

 duck. 



This stretch of the Kankakee is the last remaining considerable 

 breeding ground in Indiana not only of the Wood Duck but of sev- 

 eral other species of birds. The region is unique in its biological 

 interest and general charm and should be set aside as a state park 

 or reservation. 



