Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 509 



Maxinkuckee this duck is sometimes called the Brown Teal; also 

 Dipper Duck, probably on account of its skill as a diver; and as 

 Sprigtail, because of its stiff tail feathers ; a name, however, which 

 belongs properly to the Pintail, a very different species. In Cali- 

 fornia it is often called Wiretail, which is a much more appro- 

 priate name. 



They are only moderately esteemed as an article of food, being 

 somewhat inferior to the whistler and the butterball. 



Of the many stomachs examined by us the majority were 

 empty. In one case the stomach contained a quantity of seeds of 

 some leguminous plant, probably Lespedeza, and some small gravel. 

 The round-headed bush-clover, Lespedeza capitata, is abundant 

 about this lake, and it is not improbable these ducks come ashore at 

 times and feed upon its seeds. No fish of any kind was found in 

 their stomachs. 



Our definite date records are as follows : In 1900, October 27, 

 one shot by a hunter who called it a "Brown Teal". November 

 7, a flock seen ; 8th, several observed among coots near shore, one 

 quite red and in excellent plumage; 16th, one on ice on Lost Lake; 

 28th, a young male found dead on shore near the Gravelpit. In 

 1901, January 2, one caught on the ice; 3d, one wounded in pool, 

 found dead and frozen the next day. March 30, one seen near 

 shore at Shady Point; 31st, a few noted on lake. In 1904, Octo- 

 ber 25, a wounded one found and another one reported ; November 

 13, a dead one found south of Shady Point; length 14 inches; 

 weight 15 ounces; 19th, a dead one found under a telegraph wire 

 near Arlington ; stomach empty. December 15, two seen, one col- 

 lected. In 1906, October 12, a wounded one seen; 16th, one shot; 

 17th, found one dead; November 2, twenty found dead between 

 Long Point and Norris Inlet, with them one golden-eye, one little 

 bluebill, and a few coots ; 5th, found seven dead between the Gravel- 

 pit and Long Point; 8th, found two dead off Assembly grounds; 

 12th, found one dead; 15th, another dead; 18th, two found dead. 

 In 1907, October 25, several seen in Outlet Bay, one secured. 



It was at first thought that the ducks found dead had been killed 

 by gunners who were at that time quite active on the lake, but an 

 examination of the birds disproved this theory, as they showed no 

 wounds of any kind. Nor had they starved, as was suggested; 

 every one was found to be fat and in excellent physical condition. 

 Nor did it appear that any parasite had caused their death. It is 

 true that a few contained a good many intestinal parasites, par- 

 ticularly tapeworms, but they could scarcely have had anything to 

 do with the death of the birds which, as already stated, were fat 



