this region dates back to 1934 and for the purpose of comparative studies 
in 1940, some of the best of the known waterfowl habitat was selected for 
observation. Later in the season, the work was extended northward into 
the higher Canadian zone of the Lillooet and Cariboo Districts from 
Clinton on the Cariboo Trail north to Williams Lake. No attempt was made 
to take a "census" of all areas visited but rather to make a practical 
comparison. 
Due to the extreme mildness of the winter of 1939-40 and to an early 
spring, nesting was unusually early, an important factor which mst be 
given proper weight in evaluation of the data obtained. It is possibly 
for this reason that Mr. Goldman found a somewhat smaller waterfowl popu- 
lation than he had recorded in previous reports. 
Swan Lake, near Vernon, is one of the finest waterfowl nesting areas 
in the southern part of British Columbia. Mr. Goldman visited it on 
May 28, 1940 and makes a comparison with his visit of May 23, 1936, writing 
Crt aac obvious that the waterfowl in evidence on this lake were very 
definitely less....." Similar observations were recorded from other areas 
in the Okanagan and Fraser Valleys. 
Further north in. the Kamloops District a somewhat better situation was 
found, as in the lakes and sloughs of the Tranquille area, where "the duck 
population.....was fairly good" and many females with their broods were 
noted. 
Moving on.1orth to the Lillooet and Cariboo Districts, the investi- 
gator recorded that the waters in some of the sloughs were lor than he 
had ever seen them, although in this higher Canadian zone country the 
waterfowl habitat in general was in good condition. Nevertheless, the 
status of the waterfowl was proportionally mich the same as in the lower 
country and Mr. Goldman concluded that the evidence he obtained could only 
indicate a decrease in the nesting population. By way of illustration he 
gives the details of his observations in 1936 on two large sloughs im- 
mediately south of Clinton, on which at that time he recorded 22 families 
of ducks of six species. In these same sloughs in 1940, all he could find 
was one family of mallards and two of goldeneyes. 
A similar condition prevailed in all areas visited, north to, and in- 
cluding Williams Lake and westward to the lower Chilcotin River Valley. 
Conferences with local game officers brought out their complete agreement 
with his observations, namely, that gains in the waterfowl population on 
the British Columbia nesting grounds were not coming up to popular ex— — 
pectations. 
In summing up his report Mr. Goldman comments as follows: "Within the 
Province are good waterfowl nesting grounds extending notably between the 
Coast Range and Rocky Mountains, from the International Boundary northward 
to Williams Lake, am thence westward up Chilcotin River Valley and across 
the Coast Range Divide to the Anahim Lake country on the headwaters of the 
Bella Coola River. From the Chilcotin Valley there is some good nesting 
ground north to Vanderhoof. 
