﻿10 
  NORTH 
  AMERICAN 
  DUCKS, 
  GEESE, 
  AND 
  SWANS. 
  

  

  as 
  are 
  now 
  available 
  respecting 
  the 
  distribution 
  and 
  migration 
  of 
  the 
  

   ducks, 
  geese, 
  brant, 
  and 
  swans 
  of 
  North 
  America, 
  together 
  with 
  a 
  

   brief 
  reference 
  to 
  a 
  few 
  species 
  which 
  occur 
  in 
  Panama 
  and 
  the 
  West 
  

   Indies. 
  A 
  summary 
  is 
  also 
  given 
  of 
  existing 
  information 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  

   breeding 
  grounds 
  occupied 
  by 
  the 
  several 
  species, 
  their 
  winter 
  resorts, 
  

   the 
  routes 
  selected 
  in 
  passing 
  north 
  and 
  south, 
  and 
  the 
  times 
  of 
  mak- 
  

   ing 
  their 
  journej^s. 
  Other 
  subjects 
  of 
  investigation 
  still 
  under 
  way 
  

   are 
  the 
  food 
  habits 
  of 
  the 
  various 
  species, 
  principal 
  ducking 
  grounds, 
  

   methods 
  of 
  hunting, 
  and 
  the 
  means 
  which 
  have 
  thus 
  far 
  proved 
  most 
  

   successful 
  in 
  the 
  protection 
  of 
  these 
  birds. 
  

  

  The 
  problem 
  of 
  the 
  legal 
  protection 
  of 
  ducks, 
  geese, 
  and 
  swans 
  has 
  

   two 
  phases 
  — 
  protection 
  during 
  the 
  breeding 
  season 
  and 
  protection 
  

   during 
  migration 
  and 
  in 
  winter. 
  The 
  first 
  phase 
  concerns 
  24 
  species 
  

   of 
  ducks 
  breeding 
  in 
  the 
  United 
  States, 
  while 
  46 
  species 
  come 
  under 
  

   the 
  head 
  of 
  winter 
  residents 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States. 
  It 
  happens, 
  

   however, 
  that 
  from 
  the 
  economic 
  point 
  of 
  view 
  the 
  24 
  species 
  of 
  ducks 
  

   and 
  geese 
  that 
  breed 
  in 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  comprise 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  

   North 
  American 
  species; 
  among 
  this 
  number 
  also 
  are 
  all 
  the 
  species 
  

   that 
  at 
  the 
  present 
  time 
  need 
  protection 
  while 
  breeding. 
  Of 
  the 
  24 
  

   species, 
  5 
  are 
  numerically 
  unimportant 
  and 
  are 
  confined 
  to 
  the 
  south- 
  

   ern 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  and 
  southward, 
  so 
  that 
  they 
  are 
  of 
  

   little 
  importance 
  for 
  the 
  market 
  and 
  as 
  objects 
  of 
  sport. 
  These 
  5 
  are 
  

   the 
  Florida 
  duck, 
  mottled 
  duck, 
  masked 
  duck, 
  black-bellied 
  tree-duck, 
  

   and 
  fulvous 
  tree-duck. 
  

  

  The 
  other 
  19 
  species 
  that 
  breed 
  regularly 
  and 
  commonly 
  in 
  the 
  

   United 
  States 
  are 
  as 
  follows: 
  

  

  American 
  merganser, 
  Merganser 
  ameri- 
  

  

  canus. 
  

   Hooded 
  merganser, 
  Lophodytes 
  cucul- 
  

  

  latus. 
  

   Mallard, 
  Anas 
  boschas. 
  

   Black 
  duck, 
  Anas 
  obscura. 
  

   Gadwall, 
  Chaulelasmus 
  streperus. 
  

   Baldpate, 
  Mareca 
  americana. 
  

   Green-winged 
  teal, 
  Nettion 
  carolinense. 
  

   Blue-winged 
  teal, 
  Querquedula 
  discors. 
  

   Cinnamon 
  teal, 
  Querquedula 
  cyanoptera. 
  

  

  Shoveler, 
  Spatula 
  clypeata. 
  

   Pintail, 
  Dafila 
  acuta. 
  

   Wood 
  duck, 
  Aix 
  sponsa. 
  

   Redhead, 
  Ayihya 
  americana. 
  

   Canvasback, 
  Ay 
  thy 
  a 
  vallisneria. 
  

   Lesser 
  scaup, 
  Ayihya 
  affinis. 
  

   Ring-necked 
  duck, 
  Aythya 
  collaris. 
  

   Ruddy 
  duck, 
  Erismatura 
  jamaicensis. 
  

   Canada 
  goose, 
  Branta 
  canadensis. 
  

   White-cheeked 
  goose, 
  Branta 
  canadensis 
  

   occidentalis. 
  

  

  A 
  glance 
  shows 
  that 
  this 
  list 
  comprises 
  the 
  species 
  that 
  in 
  later 
  

   years 
  have 
  decreased 
  most 
  in 
  numbers, 
  and 
  hence 
  that 
  most 
  need 
  

   protection. 
  

  

  CAUSES 
  OF 
  DECREASE 
  IN 
  NUMBERS 
  OF 
  WATERFOWL. 
  

  

  The 
  principal 
  causes 
  of 
  the 
  diminished 
  numbers 
  of 
  waterfowl 
  have 
  

   been 
  market 
  hunting, 
  spring 
  shooting, 
  and 
  the 
  destruction 
  of 
  the 
  

   breeding 
  grounds 
  for 
  farming 
  purposes. 
  Previous 
  to 
  twenty 
  years 
  

   ago, 
  market 
  hunting 
  was 
  the 
  principal 
  factor 
  in 
  the 
  steady 
  diminu- 
  

  

  