WILD-FOWL, OR SWIMMERS 143 



slaughtering the birds even more destructive. The 

 ducks are baited with barley and corn on the lakes 

 and ponds, and carefully guarded and fed by men on 

 horseback, who often ride among them slowly and ac- 

 custom them to their appearance until the time for the 

 " armada " arrives, when the ducks are driven slowly 

 to the place of slaughter. 



Dr. W. H. Howe, of Mexico City, says:* "An ar- 

 mada is built in a half circle, just above the water- 

 line, where are placed from two to three hundred 

 barrels ; one half set to rake the water, the other half 

 to catch them just as they rise. The destruction is 

 tremendous. I was at one armada some years ago, 

 on the Hacienda Grande at the north end of Lake 

 Texcoco. After the gathering was completed, I asked 

 the overseer how many ducks were secured and he 

 told me he did not know, as they count sixteen and 

 then make a tally mark for a dollar ; but it amounted 

 to $256, at sixteen to the dollar, which made it count 

 up four thousand and ninety-six ducks at this one kill- 

 ing. During the following spring, perhaps in April, 

 Signora Cervantes de Rivas, of one of the oldest 

 families of aristocratic Mexicans, owner of the Ha- 

 cienda Grande, told me that the net profits on ducks 

 that winter was a little over $13,000 on her hacienda. 

 This would represent two hundred and eight thousand 

 ducks for this one hacienda, and there are hundreds of 

 other haciendas doing the same business with weekly 

 or bi-weekly shoots. The number of ducks slaugh- 

 tered is almost incalculable." The feathers, he was in- 

 formed, are sent to Germany. It is not to be won- 

 * In ^ield and Stream, 



