CONSERVATION OF GAME BIRDS. 571 



Survey at Ottawa for the photograph and the facts connected 

 with it. (See Plate XXVI, facing page 509.) 



Wild-fowl may even be attracted into suitable ponds in 

 the largest cities in this way, provided no shooting is allowed, 

 as in Central Park, New York, and in the smaller ponds of 

 Boston. Mr. Horace W. Wright has published in the Auk 

 for 1910 a paper on "some rare wild Ducks wintering at Bos- 

 ton," in which he states that in Jamaica Pond, Willow Pond, 

 Leverett Pond and Chestnut Hill Reservoir wild Ducks remain 

 more or less through the winter. He illustrates his article 

 with some excellent photographs of Canvas-backs, Baldpates 

 and other wild-fowl taken in these ponds. Mr. Charles worth 

 Levey also has photographed many of these birds in these 

 ponds and -has published in Bird-Lore an article on the sub- 

 ject, with some illustrations. Some of his photographs are 

 reproduced in this volume. Mr. C. J. Maynard publishes in 

 his Records of January 20, 1912, a statement from Mrs. Levey 

 and Charlesworth Levey that on December 26, 1911, there 

 were two hundred and eighty-two Black Ducks, one Mallard, 

 one male and two female GoWen Eyes, and four male and one 

 female Lesser Scaup, on Jamaica. Pond, and that on Leverett 

 Pond there was a-fine male Baldpate. These birds have been 

 attracted to the Boston ponds by Mallard Ducks placed there 

 by park employees. Next to decoys, food is the best lure, 

 as wild-fowl will not stay very long where they can find noth- 

 ing to eat. Grain, such as corn, wheat or rice, scattered in 

 shallow water where the Ducks can get it from the bottom, 

 will attract nearly all species of river water-fowl; but there 

 are many water plants, which are of no value to man, from which 

 these birds will secure a large part of their sustenance, and 

 where such plants are not present it is well to introduce them, 

 provided conditions are favorable for their establishment and 

 growth. Chief among these are wild rice {Zizania palustris 

 and Zizania aquatica), wild celery (Vallisneria spiralis) and 

 many water plants called pondweeds. 



It is important to know these plants, where they may be 

 obtained and under what conditions they will succeed. Most 

 of them, when once established, require no further care, and 



