70 The Water-fowl Family 



thousands of breeding wild fowl, as tame in many 

 instances as domestic ducks and geese. These 

 birds are as quick to appreciate protection as large 

 animals. In many of the zoological gardens 

 abroad wild fowl are regular migrants, and this 

 disposition has been noticed to a small extent in 

 the New York zoological gardens, where wild 

 ducks have often remained for some time in the 

 companionship of captive relatives. No man can 

 see this trait of our wild fowl — to make the most 

 of all he offers them in the way of preservation — 

 without being impressed. 



To sum up, the imperative need for wild-fowl 

 protection at the present time is a universal law 

 throughout the United States against spring shoot- 

 ing. Game should be exposed for sale in markets 

 through short seasons, if at all ; storing of game 

 should be absolutely prohibited; state exporta- 

 tion should be prevented ; and there should be an 

 individual limit to the number killed. 



THE RIVER-DUCKS 



{Anatida) 



When the sportsman thinks of "ducking," 

 some of the birds of this group are sure to pass 

 before his mind, for to it belong the mallard, 

 black duck, baldpate, teal, etc. It is the largest 

 family of the Anatidcz, containing about fifty 

 species, which are scattered over most of the 



