16 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



present writing Black Duck, Scaup, Redhead, Brant and Geese 

 are as plentiful as they were twenty-five years ago. In fact, 

 last spring Brant and Geese were more plentiful than any in 

 season within the memory of the present generation of gunners. 

 Under favorable weather conditions last spring two men got 

 twenty-six Geese in one day near the drawbridge at Surf City 

 and twenty-four Brant were obtained by another party. I, 

 with a friend, got eighteen Scaup in a morning's shoot, which 

 is surely enough to satisfy anyone. 



Some species have, of course, not returned in their former 

 numbers, notably the Wood-duck, though there are still a few, 

 and last fall a drake came to some decoys out in the salt water, 

 an unusual occurrence. The gunners did not shoot it, recog- 

 nizing how scarce the bird is becoming. 



ADDITIONAL NOTE ON THE WATERFOWL OF 

 BARNEGAT BAY. 



In consideration of the contrary opinions on the abundance 

 of waterfowl on the New Jersey coast and the most desirable 

 character of legislation to be enacted for their preservation, a 

 commission was appointed this year to collect facts and report 

 to the State Legislature. The report, which I have been per- 

 mitted to examine by Mr. Wm. Dutcher, one of the Commis- 

 sion, is very interesting. 



The Sub-Committee on Migratory Birds made a personal ex- 

 amination of the very waters covered by Mr. De Haven's paper 

 on November 29th and 30th, 1909, cruising on a power launch 

 from Toms River to Atlantic City. 



No wild fowl, except an occasional stray one, were seen until 

 after passing Barnegat Inlet. From Gulf Point to Long Point 

 several hundred Canada Geese, about two thousand Brant and 

 a large number of Black Duck were seen, with an occasional 

 Whistler (Goldeneye), Old Squaw and Scaup (Broadbill), but 

 no appreciable number of either. Between there and Tuckerton 

 it became too dark to see birds. South of Beach Haven the 

 next day there were two to three thousand Black Duck and 

 fifteen hundred to two thousand Brant, and in Grassy Bay from 

 seven to ten thousand Brant. The total absence of Broadbills 

 on these days was very noticeable. 



