198 University of California Publications in Zoology ["Vol. 24 



Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus. Mallard 

 A single bird, seen June 12 in a beaver pond some five miles west 

 of Telegraph Creek, was the only indication we had that this species 

 might be breeding in the upper Stikine Valley. Ducks are quiet and 

 retiring during the nesting season, however, and we spent but little 

 time in places where we would be apt to find them, so that our negative 

 results are no proof of the actual scarcity of this and some other 

 species. 



At Sergief Island, August 17 to September 7, mallards were present 

 in considerable numbers. All that we shot proved to be young birds. 



Nettion carolinense (Gmelin). Green-winged Teal 

 A pair was seen June 12 in a beaver pond some five miles west of 

 Telegraph Creek. At Sergief Island, toward the end of the summer, 

 teal were present in abundance, usually in flocks of ten or twelve 

 individuals. Two specimens were preserved, an immature, male taken 

 on September 2 (no. 39705), and an adult female, September 5 

 (no. 39706). 



Spatula clypeata (Linnaeus). Shoveller 

 A single bird was seen at close range in a slough on Sergief Island 

 •on August 29. A Peale falcon shot at the same locality on September 

 1 had the remains of a shoveller in its stomach. 



Dafila acuta (Linnaeus). Pintail 



Seen only at Sergief Island* There, during the whole of our stay, 

 pintails were present in fair abundance, usually in flocks of ten or 

 twelve individuals. These small flocks were, presumably, each a single 

 family. 



The three common fresh-water ducks here were the mallard, green- 

 winged teal, and pintail. Of none of these species, seen almost daily 

 from August 17 to September 7, and in considerable numbers, were 

 any male birds seen in the normal adult winter plumage. Presumably 

 the old males were still in the eclipse plumage, but our efforts to obtain 

 any failed; those birds that we shot proved to be young of the year, 

 with one or two old females. 



Marila, sp. ? Scaup Duck 

 Flocks and single birds were several times seen on Sawmill Lake 

 during June. Most of them were males (on June 11 a flock was noted 



