﻿DISTRIBUTION 
  AND 
  MIGRATION 
  OF 
  NORTH 
  AMERICAN 
  

   DUCKS, 
  GEESE, 
  AND 
  SWANS. 
  

  

  INTRODUCTION. 
  

  

  Wild 
  fowl 
  are 
  distributed 
  over 
  the 
  whole 
  world. 
  From 
  time 
  imme- 
  

   morial 
  ducks, 
  geese, 
  and 
  swans 
  have 
  been 
  held 
  in 
  high 
  esteem 
  by 
  

   mankind, 
  and 
  everywhere 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  eagerly 
  pursued 
  for 
  sport 
  

   or 
  for 
  food. 
  

  

  Passing 
  by 
  the 
  purely 
  esthetic 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  birds 
  as 
  beautiful 
  and 
  

   welcome 
  denizens 
  of 
  our 
  waters 
  and 
  as 
  lending 
  the 
  charm 
  of 
  life 
  and 
  

   animation 
  to 
  our 
  otherwise 
  desolate 
  ponds 
  and 
  lakes; 
  passing 
  by, 
  too, 
  

   their 
  importance 
  to 
  thousands 
  of 
  men 
  who 
  are 
  lured 
  from 
  business 
  

   cares 
  to 
  pursue 
  them 
  and 
  who 
  derive 
  from 
  their 
  pursuit 
  both 
  health 
  

   and 
  pleasure, 
  their 
  economic 
  value 
  and 
  importance 
  as 
  food 
  are 
  very 
  

   great. 
  The 
  flesh 
  not 
  only 
  is 
  palatable 
  and 
  nutritious, 
  but 
  is 
  so 
  different 
  

   from 
  that 
  of 
  domestic 
  fowls 
  as 
  to 
  form 
  a 
  most 
  welcome 
  addition 
  to 
  the 
  

   table 
  both 
  of 
  the 
  rich 
  and 
  the 
  poor. 
  

  

  The 
  flesh 
  of 
  wild 
  fowl 
  constituted 
  an 
  important 
  item 
  in 
  the 
  larder 
  of 
  

   the 
  aborigines 
  of 
  this 
  country, 
  who, 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  the 
  bow 
  and 
  arrow 
  

   and 
  by 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  various 
  devices 
  in 
  the 
  shape 
  of 
  nets 
  and 
  traps, 
  

   succeeded 
  in 
  obtaining 
  them 
  in 
  considerable 
  numbers, 
  especially 
  when 
  

   young 
  and 
  unable 
  to 
  fly. 
  The 
  Eskimo 
  and 
  northern 
  Indians, 
  indeed, 
  

   would 
  fare 
  badly 
  but 
  for 
  the 
  vast 
  numbers 
  of 
  waterfowl 
  that 
  visit 
  

   their 
  country 
  to 
  breed, 
  and 
  everywhere 
  the 
  aborigines 
  seek 
  their 
  

   eggs 
  with 
  avidity. 
  Waterfowl 
  as 
  an 
  addition 
  to 
  the 
  larder 
  became 
  

   almost 
  as 
  essential 
  to 
  the 
  first 
  settlers 
  as 
  they 
  had 
  been 
  to 
  the 
  Indians, 
  

   and, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  game 
  was 
  concerned, 
  the 
  fowling 
  piece 
  soon 
  became 
  a 
  

   more 
  important 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  settler's 
  equipment 
  than 
  the 
  rifle. 
  

  

  Neither 
  the 
  aborigines 
  nor 
  the 
  early 
  settlers 
  appreciably 
  reduced 
  the 
  

   numbers 
  of 
  the 
  hordes 
  of 
  ducks 
  and 
  geese 
  that 
  periodically 
  covered 
  

   the 
  lakes, 
  ponds, 
  rivers, 
  and 
  marshes 
  of 
  this 
  favored 
  country. 
  It 
  

   was 
  not 
  until 
  comparatively 
  recent 
  times, 
  indeed, 
  that 
  the 
  tremendous 
  

   increase 
  of 
  population 
  and 
  the 
  constantly 
  increasing 
  number 
  both 
  of 
  

   sportsmen 
  and 
  of 
  market 
  gunners, 
  together 
  with 
  the 
  invention 
  of 
  that 
  

   potent 
  engine 
  of 
  destruction, 
  the 
  breech-loading 
  gun, 
  have 
  had 
  their 
  

   logical 
  effect 
  in 
  greatly 
  diminishing 
  their 
  numbers 
  and 
  in 
  practically 
  

   exterminating 
  not 
  a 
  few 
  species. 
  

  

  7 
  

  

  