Fruit Farming for Profit in California, 91 



of his gun. The black goose, or Canada honker (anas 

 Canadensis), is also plentiful, and is considered the 

 best for the table. The yellow-legged, or checker- 

 breasted goose, and the Brant goose. 



The sandhill crane was very plentiful in former years, 

 and did considerable damage in the barley fields : bnt 

 since cultivation in Orange County has made such 

 wonderful changes that most of the plains have been 

 transformed into orange groves, orchards, and vineyards, 

 the cranes have changed their winter quarters to the 

 adjoining counties, which are in a less advanced state 

 of cultivation. 



Almost all known varieties of wild fowl abound in 

 everv lake, creek, or slouoh. The delicious canvas-back 

 (anas valisneria}, the beautiful mallard (anas boschas), 

 often in flocks of several hundreds, the pintail (anas 

 acuta), the widgeon (anas Americana}, the gadwall 

 (anas stapera), the dusky duck (anas obscura}, blue- 

 winged teal (anas discors), the green-winged teal (anas 

 crecca), the surf duck (anas perspicillata"*, the red- 

 headed duck (anas ferina\. in flavour equal to the canvas- 

 back, the buftel-headed duck or butterball (anas albeola), 

 the shoveller (anas clypeata), etc., etc. ^lany of these 

 varieties breed here in great numbers, and proper st^ps 

 have been taken to protect them bv law during the 

 breeding season, as the present game law gives them no 

 protection whatever. I have bagged very often over 

 one hundred ducks in one day — leaving for the shooting 

 grounds after breakfast and returning before dark. 



Plovers and snipe are very plentiful, the former 

 arriving in Orange County as early as September. 

 Thev are excellent eatina*, and very tame birds, that 



