136 PROPAGATION OF WILD BIRDS 



to the redhead, there seems to be no inherent reason why 

 this may not soon be accomplished. It is best to start with 

 a small stock, and increase it by careful breeding. 



Long-sought Methods. After years of experimentation 

 methods have been discovered by which wild ducks of vari- 

 ous kinds have been made to breed successfully. One of 

 these methods has been demonstrated by the late Wilton 

 Lockwood, the artist, and by John A. Cox, on neighbouring 

 estates on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, at South Orleans and 

 East Brews ter respectively, and also in part by Henry Cook, 

 already mentioned. By this method the ducks are kept on 

 a natural marshy pond, with aquatic vegetation, preferably 

 small overgrown islands, and plenty of marsh or pasture land 

 in the enclosure with the pond. Early in the spring, when 

 they show signs of mating, they are given minnows or any 

 small fish alive about twice a week. Wallace Evans feeds 

 small fish twice a week, two feeds each time. The most ap- 

 proved method is to give them in a trough, in water. They 

 can be caught on the seacoast or in rivers or lakes in set traps 

 or nets. Small-mesh nets are baited, set in shallow water, 

 and drawn up when the school of fry is after the bait. This 

 method is also quite frequently employed in England. 



Horseshoe Crabs. Besides the minnows, Mr. Cox also 

 secures, on the flats of Cape Cod Bay, horseshoe crabs, 

 which he says can at times be gathered by cartloads. In 

 spring the female crab is full of eggs and other gelatinous 

 matter. Only females are used. They are cut open under- 

 neath, and the ducks allowed to help themselves, which they 

 do eagerly. 



Species Bred. This system is so successful that nearly 

 every species experimented with bred, except canvasback 

 and lesser scaup, which did not, however, have a fair chance, 

 from lack of stock. Mr. Cox has bred numbers of the fol- 



