MORTALITY AMONG WATERFOWL. 



9 



lower course of this north channel from the North Shore Gun Club 

 eastward can be ditched and the water prevented from spreading 

 on the shallows, as it does now, conditions will undoubtedly improve. 

 This should cause the ducks to use the better drained south channel 

 and alleviate the trouble. When the irrigation dams are opened in 

 September and there is an abundance of water, the flats could again 

 be covered, attracting the buds for the fall shooting. Here it might 

 be possible also to establish ponds fed by artesian water which would 

 save many birds could they be induced to visit them to feed and 

 drink. 



The extensive flats at the mouth of the Bear River present a still 

 more serious problem. So large an area is involved that drainage 

 under present conditions is impracticable, but even if it were possible 

 this course would deprive enormous numbers of water birds of a. 

 summer home. Apparently the only solution here is to increase by 

 some means the water supply during July, August, and the early part 

 of September. If an agreement could be made with the canal com- 

 panies controlling the irrigation project dams across Bear River 

 whereby more water could be allowed to pass their dams, reservoirs 

 might be established higher up, and a supply might be reserved for the 

 summer months. It might even be practicable to utilize for this 

 purpose some of the water from Bear Lake. The construction of a 

 low dam across South Bay and East Pass in order to raise the water 

 level has been considered. As such a dam would be cut out each 

 year by the ice, an endeavor to increase the water supply would be 

 more practicable. In damming up the bay there is danger of too 

 much stagnant water, and this might add to the trouble. 



A measure which might be adopted in all three localities, and one 

 strongly recommended, is to station men on the marshes to gather 

 up the helpless birds and pen them on fresh water. Considering the 

 great number of birds that might be saved in this way the expense 

 will be slight, and in dry seasons this may prove the only feasible 

 means of relief. From August 11 to September 26 there were brought 

 in to the Duckville Gun Club 586 ducks, of 6 species. The following 

 table gives the percentage of recoveries and deaths : 



Species. 



Number. 



Recovered. 



Died. ' 





59 



5 



233 



258 



16 



15 



Per cent. 

 80 

 80 

 77 

 69 

 63 

 60 



Per cent. 

 20 



Gadwall 



20 





23 





31 



Cinnamon teal 



37 



Spoonbill 



40 







Total 



586 



73 



27 







When large and small ducks were inclosed together the stronger 

 pintails and mallards crowded the teal and spoonbills, and many were 



