W o o D D u c K 225 



continued until 1941, when, in several of the states in the United States, 

 it was permitted to include a single Wood Duck in a bag-limit; the spe- 

 cies is still protected in Canada. It is a delicious table bird, and has al- 

 ways been popular with gunners. Living as it does, throughout its range, 

 close to human habitation, it has been an easy mark for every type of 

 shooter, from the farm lad up. Normally it is a trusting species and 

 decoys readily, but if its suspicions are once aroused it will avoid the 

 decoys with great cleverness. 



The makers of artificial flies, used by anglers, would pay from $3.00 

 to S4.00 for a prime, full-plumaged skin of a male Wood Duck. Certain 

 feathers from the breast and sides went into the manufacture of Light 

 and Dark Cahill flies and Quill Gordon flies, all of the "dry fly" variety; 

 feathers from the wing w r ere used in Salmon flies. During the period 

 that the Wood Duck was protected, feathers of the domesticated Man- 

 darin Duck were used instead, and, also, feathers from the Mallard, 

 suitably dyed for the purpose. 



In Audubon's (1840) own words the courtship of the Wood Duck 

 is described as follows: "Here they are, a whole flock of beautiful birds, 

 the males chasing their rivals, the females coquetting with their chosen 

 beaux. Observe that fine drake! How gracefully he raises his head and 

 curves his neck! As he bows before the object of his love, he raises for 

 a moment his silken crest. His throat is swelled, and from it there issues 

 a guttural sound, which to his beloved is as sweet as the song of the 

 Wood Thrust to its gentle mate. The female, as if not unwilling to 

 manifest the desire to please which she really feels, swims close by his 

 side, now and then caresses him by touching his feathers with her bill, 

 and shows displeasure towards any other of her sex that may come near. 

 Soon the happy pair separate from the rest, repeat every now and then 

 their caresses, and at length, having sealed the conjugal compact, fly off 

 to the woods to search for a large Woodpecker's hole. Occasionally the 

 males fight with each other, but their combats are not of long duration, 

 nor is the field ever stained with blood, the loss of a few feathers or a 

 sharp tug of the head being generally enough to decide the contest. Al- 

 though the Wood Ducks always form their nests in the hollows of a tree, 

 their caresses are performed exclusively on the water, to which they re- 

 sort for the purpose, even when their loves have been first proved far 

 above the ground on the branch of some tall sycamore." 



The Wood Duck is the only member of the subfamily of River and 

 Pond Ducks that habitually nests in trees; it never nests upon the 

 ground but, occasionally, failing a suitable tree site, will nest in a barn 

 or some such disused building. It does not nest in the branches or fork 

 of a tree but always in natural cavities in the trunk or large branch. It 

 prefers hollow trees in close proximity to water, but if such are not avail- 

 able, will make its home further away. It takes readily to nesting boxes 

 erected in suitable locations. The hole chosen may be close to the ground 

 or as high as 50 or 60 feet above. No outside material is transported to 

 the nest by the bird but it makes use of any chips or other material that 



