THE DUOK STCKNESS IN UTAH. 25 



RELEASE OF BANDED BIRDS. 



Aluminum bands were placed on the legs of about 1 ,000 dink- i|,.,i 

 were cured and released at the mouth of Bear River. From these 

 banded birds data have been obtained upon the permanency of the 

 cure and the subsequent longevity of individuals that have recovered. 

 The bands used thus far are of two types: Each bears a number 

 stamped upon one side; on the reverse, one is marked "No1 il'v U. S. 

 Dept. Agr., Wash., D. C.;" the other "Notify Biological Survey, 

 Washington, D. C." These bands are light and in addition are li1 1 le 

 affected by salt or alkaline waters. Returns have come in at the 

 present time from about 170 of these ducks. Many of these were 

 killed locally, but nearly always under circumstances that indicated 

 that they had fully recovered. Others have come from greater 

 distances. Individual records range west to the Pacific Ocean in 

 California, south to the Mexican border in New Mexico, east to 

 Joplin, Mo., and north into southern Saskatchewan in Canada. 

 Three birds banded in 1914 were killed by hunters during 1916, °nd 

 another released at the same time was reported in 1917, so that there 

 can be no doubt that the birds treated recovered fully. 



Valuable information has been obtained from reports on these 

 banded ducks as to the lines of flight pursued by waterfowl during 

 their migrations. This is of the greatest importance, and it is desired 

 that sportsmen or others who chance to kill these banded birds send 

 immediately full details to the Biological Survey as to the number of 

 the band, together with date and place of capture. 



