37 



In the year 1912 I published in "A History of the Game 

 Birds, Wild-Fowl and Shore Birds" a statement similar to those 

 of Elliot and Mackay in regard to Scoters. This assertion was 

 made on the authority of many people who claimed to have 

 witnessed such behavior on the part of these birds, but since 

 then I have come to doubt whether a bird ever actually com- 

 mits suicide. I have always felt that if death occurred in this 

 way, it must have been unintentional. On the other hand, it 



Males. 



Winter. 



Summer. 



OLD-SQUAW (Harelda hyemalis). 

 (From "Game Birds, Wild-Fowl and Shore Birds.") 



Samuels says that Old-Squaws when wounded die clinging to vegetation at the bottom. 



(See page 34.) 



seems to be a common happening for wounded ducks of several 

 species to attach themselves to some growth under water and 

 to hold on as long as possible. Nevertheless, many cases of dis- 

 appearance can be explained in some other way. Wounded 

 birds may be seized and swallowed by large fish or turtles, or 

 when weakened by wounds they may be held down on the 

 bottom by large shellfish, or entangled in rank growths near 

 the bottom. Sometimes in very shallow water with deep mud 

 below the surface a bird falling from a great height dead, or 

 nearly so, may go out of sight in the mud and stay there. I 

 have seen such a case. 



An inquiry regarding the disappearance of wounded water- 

 fowl was undertaken in 1921, and resulted in definite state- 



