CAROLINA DUCK 69 



tamed individuals. He mentions a Mr. Nicols, who had a yard "swarming" with 

 Summer Ducks near Havre-de-Grace, Maryland, forty years before his own time. 

 Audubon, too, bred in captivity birds which were caught near his home. From this 

 evidence it is clear that the species was exported alive to Europe and probably kept 

 in captivity in this country as early at least as the 17th century. 



The keeping and breeding of Carolina Ducks is a fascinating subject and a volume 

 might be written on it. I reared them for seven years, sometimes over a hundred in 

 a season, and at various times I allowed a few to grow their wings. Such birds always 

 stayed in the pond until their pinioned relatives were caught up and housed in late 

 November, after which they usually migrated, although at times they delayed their 

 departure as long as possible, for they have visited us at Wenham as late as De- 

 cember 30 (1913). 



Much might be written about the type of pond suitable for keeping these splendid 

 ducks, the different styles of nest-boxes, the hatching and the rearing of the young, 

 and the winter care of the flock, but these points can only be touched upon. The 

 following references are worth consulting: Heinroth, 1911; Finn, 1904; Job, 1915; 

 Phillips, 1915; Rogeron, 1903. 



The flock which I began to accumulate in 1909 increased in productivity for sev- 

 eral years until it reached its height in 1914 and 1915. I then, in an endeavor to 

 improve the fertility of the eggs, which at times were nearly 50% sterile, obtained 

 a number of wild males from Louisiana and sold off some of the old males. The next 

 spring, 1917, in spite of the fact that the same old females were present (although 

 a few selected young females were added each summer to balance deaths and acci- 

 dents to the old stock) there was a reduction of about 50% in the number of eggs 

 laid. This is interesting as showing that disturbance to the old mated pairs had a 

 very disastrous effect. 



With fifteen to eighteen pairs I was able to rear to maturity at best about one 

 hundred young from a maximum of 150 to 170 eggs; and this despite the fact that 

 they had the pond to themselves. I regard this result as much better than the 

 average. 



Starting from the time when the birds are placed in the pond, their management 

 is briefly as follows: On this first day (which should not be too early in the spring) 

 the ducks very likely will walk the wire in an attempt to find an opening. If not 

 contented they will climb the wire, and I found it best to place a T-shaped wire strip 

 all along the top of the fence about two feet wide and projecting inside as well as 

 out. This prevents the birds from climbing out and ground vermin from getting in. 

 The laying season at Wenham began from April 24 to May 5 and stopped June 6 to 

 June 16, once extending to June 25. Captive males as well as females are very active 

 in searching out hollows, and several females often lay in one nest. From this it 

 follows that the better practice, after laying has been going on for a week or ten 



