No. 4.] DECEEASE OF BIRDS. 457 



as it is known among the gunners, was once one of the 

 most abundant of all ducks along the Atlantic seaboard. 

 Ranging to middle or southern Florida in winter, it is ex- 

 posed to the gunners all along the coast. It has decreased 

 more than some other bay ducks, perhaps for this reason. 

 I found it in northern Florida in 1878, the most abun- 

 dant water-fowl I have ever seen. At that time great 

 ' ' rafts " of these ducks, at least a mile in length, were seen 

 on Indian River. When a boat approached one of these 

 great masses of birds, those nearest the boat would rise and 

 fly over the flock, making one continuous roar of wings as 

 the boat approached. While crossing Lake George on a 

 steamer, the remarkable spectacle was witnessed of a sheet 

 of water dotted all over with these ducks as far as the eye 

 could see. In 1899 in the same region there were still 

 some large flocks, but I estimated that the birds had dimin- 

 ished fully 75 per cent. The lesser scaup is now growing 

 rare in this State. Redheads and canvasbacks have never 

 been recorded as generally common in Massachusetts. Mr. 

 Mackay says that more redheads were seen at Nantucket in 

 the winter of 1903-04 than for many years. 



The Pond and River Ducks (/Subfamily Anatince'). 

 Mr. Hoffman says : " Seven species belonging to this divi- 

 sion occur regularly in eastern New York and New England. 

 All but one, however, are now so rare that the ordinary ob- 

 server will hardly come across them." * This is indeed true 

 in regard to Massachusetts. In the course of this inquiry 

 only one observer reported these ducks as holding their 

 own ; all others reported them as decreasing. These birds 

 may be distinguished from the bay and sea ducks by the fact 

 that they do not dive for their food, but take their food from 

 the bottom in shallow water by putting their heads under. 

 They are more distinctly fresh-water ducks than the bay 

 and sea ducks, and are more exposed to the gunners by 

 reason of their feeding in shallow water and usually near 

 shore. No doubt our ponds, marshes and streams once 

 swarmed with these ducks during the migrations, and it is 



* " A guide to the birds of New England and New York," Ralph Hoffman, 

 p. 301. 



