THE WOOD DUCK 319 
him in elegance of form and motion, and none 
of our other ducks can compare with him in 
beautiful coloring and plumage. Except the 
mandarin duck of the far east no member of the 
family approaches him in the rainbow bright- 
ness of his hues. They nest anywhere through- 
out the United States and a little beyond to the 
north. 
They bred in abundance in the lake region 
of Maine, and were surely second in point of 
numbers in these waters as elsewhere on the 
fresh water in New England, only the black duck 
being more numerous. I say were, for they 
have become greatly reduced in numbers within 
the last few years. This is, no doubt, in great 
measure due to their ‘‘fatal gift of beauty,’’ 
though their flesh, also, has a flavor that is deli- 
cate beyond that of most wild fowl. They have 
become so scarce that it seems that shooting 
them should be prohibited for a term of years 
if we would prevent their total extinction. Let 
us act before it is too late, and so prevent this 
irreparable loss. 
These little creatures still brighten with their 
presence some of our inland streams, flitting 
with graceful ease among the interlacing 
