THE BIRDS OF -WISCONSIN. 
21 
much smaller numbers than thirty years ago. Grundtvig (1) 
gave it as "by far the most common cluck at Shiocton," 
Outagamie County, in 1882-83, breeding "abundantly in the 
old maples near the river. " Considerable numbers still nest in 
favorable localities in the central and northern part of the 
state, and in a few places in southern Wisconsin, as about 
Delavan Lake. Mr. J. N. Clark writes us that it nests regu- 
larly in Dunn County. It arrives from the first of April to the 
first of May, and a few remain into November, but the greater 
number move southward after it begins to grow cold in 
October. In fall it resorts to the great wild rice marshes, and 
while the rice lasts that seems to be its principal food. Later 
it takes to the oak groves about the streams and lakes, and 
seems to be especially partial to the acorns of the burr oak. 
These it eats in large quantities. It often nests considerable 
distances from water. We know of one instance where it bred 
regularly for a number of years in a very large hickory. This 
tree was over two miles from the nearest water in a direct line. 
One of our most omnivorous ducks, and, contrary to the 
opinions of manv people, should not rank very high as a table 
bird. 
Aytliya americana (Eyt.). RKDHEAI3. 
Arrives in Wisconsin usually with the breaking up of the 
ice in the smaller lakes, and returns in numbers in October, 
remaining until the ice again forms. This and the following 
species show more partiality to certain localities than others of 
the genus. It has been greatly reduced in numbers of 
late years, more so than most ducks. Formerly very abundant, 
it is disappearing at an alarming rate. In the fall this 
duck is nearly, if not fully, equal to the canvas-back in flavor, 
and as it commands a high price in the market, is persistently 
and systematically hunted and shipped to the larger cities 
despite the law. Has been known to breed at Pewaukee (N. S. 
Goss) and in Brown County (C. F. Carr). Formerly bred at 
Lake Koshkonong, and even at the present day a few pairs nest 
annually in the large marshes about the lake. The principal 
food of this species in the localities where it resorts in numbers . 
during the autumn is composed of the gemmae or nutlets of one 
or more species of the pond-weed family, which is also the chief 
food of the canvas-back when it returns in the fall. 
1. On the Birds of Shiocton in Bovina, Outagamie County, Wisconsin, 
1881-83. Translated by Chas. E. Faxon, Trans. Wis. Acad. Sci., Arts, and 
Bet. X, p. 97-1895. 
