138 PROPAGATION OF WILD BIRDS 



Life in America brought requests from nearly every State 

 and from abroad, and all he could spare were sold at good 

 prices. He bred them for a number of years, and each year 

 the result was about the same. 



Methods of Lockwood. Mr. Cox described the methods 

 and success of Mr. Lockwood as identical with his own. 

 This was confirmed by a letter from Lockwood, written 

 shortly before his death, to F. C. Walcott, which Mr. Wal- 

 cott kindly let me read. He fed the live minnows to his 

 ducks, Uke Cox, but did not mention the crabs. The pond 

 and swamp enclosure, with islands in the pond, was about the 

 same in size, four acres. He mentioned that the fence en- 

 closing was 6 feet high, of i-inch mesh, with an i8-inch over- 

 hang, to protect the ducks, which were pinioned, from cats 

 and minks cUmbing over. He also had traps on poles. He 

 advised planting areas of cat-tails, and emphasized avoiding 

 overcrowding of ducks on the pond. All kinds were in to- 

 gether, as with Messrs. Cox and Cook. Breeding began 

 about the first of April. 



Tank of Minnows. The tank in whjich the live minnows 

 were given to the ducks was six feet long and one foot deep. 

 The ducks, especially the diving kinds, in their eagerness 

 made the water fairly boil. 



Protection. If the pond has no good cover near it, he 

 advises making an arbour, about 15 feet square, beginning 

 a couple of feet from the water, covered over with brush. 

 The ducks use it for shade and to hide from enemies. He 

 warns against turtles and rats, and advises dynamiting the 

 pond if it harbours anything which attacks ducks. 



Species Bred by Cook. The methods of Mr. Cook are 

 simUar, but his pond is not so good, being without marsh 

 adjoining it. Hence, the laying is more irregular, and fewer 

 birds mate and lay, though he has secured at least some eggs 



