126 PROPAGATION OF WILD BIRDS 



they may have a pan of water on a sunny morning, when not 

 too cold, and later more frequently, until let out on the pond. 



Pinioning vs. Wing-clipping. The problem with water- 

 fowl hinges upon inducing them to breed under artificial 

 conditions. Some species have never yet been known to 

 produce fertile eggs in captivity, even though they may mate. 

 Any thing which would tend to prevent or retard the breeding 

 function should be avoided. There is no question but that 

 the operation of pinioning, or removing the last wing-joint 

 permanently to prevent flight, does this to some extent. It 

 affects the female more than the male, and often prevents 

 her from breeding the next season when it does not affect 

 him. In the case of species hard to breed, it is best to err 

 on the safe side. The flight feathers are shed and renewed 

 only in mid-summer. As they keep growing out, it may be 

 necessary to repeat the clipping. At best catching ducks is 

 a troublesome undertaking in a pond of any size, so many 

 prefer to pinion the stock, but there is wide divergence of 

 opinion in this matter. It makes no difference with the 

 ordinary mallards, for they are sure to breed anyhow. Some 

 experimenters who have been successful with various other 

 species say that by judicious forcing methods of feeding the 

 bad effects of pinioning can finally be nullified, among whom 

 are Messrs. Cox and Cook. The young are in no way injured 

 by pinioning. 



How to Pinion. To pinion an adult bird, raise the little 

 bastard wing or thumb of the wing, and tie a cord tightly 

 around the bone of the wing at the last joint, well up under 

 the thumb. Have ready some tannic acid, which is in pow- 

 der form. With a pair of stout sharp shears or scissors clip 

 off the bone close below the cord, removing all, or certainly 

 nearly all, of the primary quills. At once take a pinch of 

 the tannic acid and press it firmly into the wound, to check 



