THE WATERFOWL 



935 



nately it is now quite easily 

 reared in captivity and is, there- 

 fore, in no danger of absolute 

 extinction. 



THE DIVING DUCKS 



There are seventeen species of 

 diving ducks found in North 

 America and some of the spe- 



A FOSTER MOTHER AND HER BROOD OF YOUNG WOOD DUCKS 



The wood duck has become rare over most of its extensive range but will probably not become extermi- 

 nated as it is protected by law and can now be reared successfully in captivity. 



make them inconspicuous and to keep them warm while 

 she leaves them to feed. For the males never assist in 

 household cares, but, as soon as the eggs are laid, con- 

 gregate in flocks by themselves and show no further in- 

 terest. The wood duck is a notable exception for, in the 

 first place it nests in a hole in a tree and in the second 



place the male attends 

 the female and some- 

 times assists in incuba- 

 tion and such care as 

 the young receive. 



The wood duck has 

 always been much in 

 demand because of its 

 bright colors and since 



A MALE CANVASBACK STANDING 



Note the large feet and erect posture 

 characteristic of the diving ducks and 

 compare with the mallards and teal. 



cies are the most 

 abundant of our 

 ducks, flocks of sev- 

 eral thousand scaup 

 ducks, for example, 

 being a not uncom- 

 mon sight on our larger bodies of water. The diving 

 ability of these ducks can scarcely be exaggerated for 

 some members of the sub-family, notably the old squaws, 

 are repeatedly captured in gill nets set for fish in from 

 ioo to 150 feet of water. Indeed, almost every 

 year in the Great Lakes, thousands of these ducks be- 

 come entangled in the nets and are drowned. The old 

 squaws, scoters and eiders arc believed to" use their 

 wings as well as their feet in diving, but the rest use 



HOW THE DABBLING DUCKS 

 FEED 



A female pintail "dabbling" in shal- 

 low water. 



it is not a very wary bird, it has 

 fallen an easy prey to gunners 

 until it has become very rare 

 over a large part of its exten- 

 sive range. As a result, the 

 Federal Government has now de- 

 clared a closed season upon it 

 for a term of years. Fortu- 



Phclegraph by F. Overton 



A FEW SCAUPS DUCKS, OR BROADBILLS AS THEY ARE KNOV/N ON LONG ISLAND WHERE 



THIS PHOTOGRAPH WAS TAKEN 



The Diving ducks occur in much larger flocks than the dabbling ducks; this is but part of the flock. 



