294 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
tAPRIL IS, I90S. 
Are the Choicer Varieties of Ducks 
Increasing in Maine Waters? 
BY FRANK T. JJOBLE^ AUGUSTA, ME. 
From the Journal of the Maine Ornithological Society. 
For many years the writer has taken more than an 
ordinary interest in the water fowl of New England, both 
as an ornithologist and a sportsman, particularly those 
Anatidce whose delicacy of flesh and fine flavor cause 
them to rank high in the list of desirable game birds. 
Various traditions and unauthentic stories, handed 
down from generation to generation, would have us un- 
derstand that big bags of these choice birds were, years 
ago, of common occurrence; indeed, that in those days 
they were almost as numerous as the sands upon the sea- 
shore. As for myself I am decidedly skeptical that such 
conditions ever existed hereabouts, and certainly during 
recent years such species as -the mallard (Anas boschas), 
widgeon (A. americana), gadwall (A. streperus), pintail 
(Dafila acuta) and redhead (Aythya americana), have 
been taken by the average gunner only at rare intervals. 
Probably the most attractive feeding ground for the 
river ducks in our State is Merrymeeting Bay, a shal- 
low body of water formed by the junction of four rivers, 
the Kennebec, Androscoggin, Cathance and Abbaka- 
dassett. This great fresh-water bay, with its rank growth 
of grass and rushes, its numerous creeks and inlying 
pond holes, forms an ideal resting and feeding place for 
the various kinds of water fowl. It is in these waters 
that I have noticed recently a decided increase in the 
numbers of certain ducks formerly considered rare, and 
this fact has prompted the question at the head of this 
article, with tlie hope that others may be able to add to 
our kno-§^ledge concerning their abundance or otherwise 
in other localities. 
Some twenty years ago, so I am told, a few gunners 
living near the bay shore procured some wild rice 
{Zizania aquatica), from the West, sowing it about the 
bay as an experiment. This, or rice brought by the birds 
themselves, has gradually resown itself and spread, until 
in the fall of 1904 there was a crop of rice never before 
equalled, affording a sumptuous repast for all the ducks 
who cared to come and partake of it. Query— Has this 
harvest of a favorite food recently discovered caused_ cer- 
tain species to deviate from their usual course of migra- 
tion and tarry here to rest and feed? In partial answer, 
allow me briefly to refer to the varieties and numbers of 
the infrequently met species that came to my notice in 
and about the bay during the past fall. ■ 
Early in September the ducks . principally in evidence 
were the dusky, which had been -gathering since August. 
With them were a few scattered bunches of bluewing and 
greenwing teal and an occasional pintail. As the season 
advanced these flocks were augmented by new arrivals, 
and the rarer varieties would occasionally be seen. By 
September 15 those graceful birds, the pintails, increased, 
and bunches of five to eight were not unusual._ They 
usually keep by themselves, and are unsuspicious of 
danger as a rule. 
Blue-winged Teal.— The blue-winged teal were _ now 
flocking in what seemed incredible numbers for this lo- 
cality. Flocks of fifty, one hundred and even two hun- 
dred birds were frequently seen in the air, quartering 
hither and thither in their swift, nervous flight, which 
is characteristic of these birds. Suddenly they would 
with one accord pitch headlong into the grass as if to 
feed and rest, only the next moment to rise with a great 
whirr and fly to some other part of the bay. On Sep- 
tember 16, just at dusk, a flock came suddenly out of the 
sky and flew past my float that must have numbered at 
least three hundred birds. I had never seen such a 
bunch of teal in Maine waters, though I once witnessed 
a similar sight in the Grand Lake region in New 
Brunswick. 
From September 15 to the 25th, blue-winged teal were 
everywhere in evidence in flocks of five to twenty-five. 
A few of those charming little bantam ducks, the green- 
wing teal, would be found from day to day, but only a 
few — no large flocks — and their path of migration was 
evidently not across Merrymeeting Bay. 
Black Ducks. — Pintails were still more common about 
the 25th, and the black duck, that grand old standby, was 
seemingly everywhere — scarcely a moment but what pairs 
or flocks of ten to fifty could be seen in the air in some 
quarter. 
It must be borne in mind that the vision, aided by 
good glasses, covered a feeding and flying territory of 
some five miles north and south by nearly two miles 
east and west, a large expanse of country. 
The Mallard.— From October i to 10, the diving fowl 
or sea ducks began to appear in greater numbers, and 
with the advent of cold nights a few of those grand birds, 
the mallards, were seen, usually alone, but sometimes try- 
ing to be social with the black ducks. A little later, and 
good sized flocks appeared upon the scene, and the num- 
bers observed was one of the greatest surprises expe- 
rienced by the writer. At first flocks oi five or ten 
would unexpectedly be found hidden away in the thick 
grass or wild rice. These would gradually unite, I pre- 
sume, and with fresh arrivals from some unknown quar- 
ter form flocks of as many as twenty-five or thirty birds. 
In some instances it would seem as if the beautiful green- 
headed drakes constituted almost the entire flock, and a 
pretty picture they made when on the wing in the bright 
sunlight. With their delicately marked under parts, daz- 
zling green heads and neck, with white collars, they ap- 
peared as if in full dress, the aristocrats of the Anatidae, 
as they surely are. 
These choice birds, from this time to November I, 
were seen every day in numerous bunches, and even per- 
sistent gunning could not drive them from the bay, mere- 
ly causing them to seek the more open water. Surely if 
this is what we may expect in the future, the mallard 
can now be classed among our common ducks. 
Redhead. — About October 15 came the advance guard 
of those justly celebrated ducks, the redhead, close cousin 
to that rara avis the canvasback, a record of whose cap- 
ture in Maine waters I hope to establish before long. 
The redhead is far from scarce hereabouts now. He is 
a late arrival and remains after most of the other ducks 
have moved southward. My first experience with them 
in any numbers was in the fall of 1903. On November 
S of that year, late in the afternoon, I skulled a flock of 
nearly forty birds in the open water, and was within 
eighty yards before they became suspicious. As the sun- 
light fell upon the animated group, showing off their 
rich bronze heads, the sight was one never to be for- 
gotten. 
From October 20 to November i, 1904, they were seen 
frequently, usually in sizeable flocks. They appear clan- 
nish and inhabit the more open water during the day, and 
consequently are not easily taken. That they are partial 
to wild rice, upon which they feed at night, is proven by 
examination of their Crops and the delicious flavor this 
food imparts to their flesh. 
Gadwall.- — -The heretofore rare gadwall or gray duck 
(An^ts strepera), put in an appearance rather late. It 
was October 27 when I observed and took the first one, 
a female, which was with a pair of mallards. On the 
28th and 29th they came in fairly good-sized flocks, fif- 
teen or more being repeatedly seen together, but the 
weather was boisterous now, and we could rarely get 
within gunshot of them. 
Widgeon. — The American widgeon {Anas americana), 
was also seen about the same time- — beautiful birds, swift 
flyers like the teal. They cannot be mistaken once recog- 
nized, their immaculate under parts making them very 
conspicuous when on the wing. They seem to gather in 
rather larger flocks than the gadwall, twenty-five or 
thirty together not being uncommon. Both these latter 
species were quite numerous for a short time, and I am 
inclined to class them as common migrants in these 
waters from late in October to about November 5. I 
fully expect to see the European widgeon {Anas pene- 
lope) taken here at no distant day. 
The gaciwall and widgeon are very closely related, and 
from an epicurean standpoint, in my humble opinion, no 
web-footed fowl can surpass them in excellency as a table! 
bird, when properly served, and their appearance in 
Maine waters ought to be hailed with the greatest satis- 
faction. 
Two Thousand Ducks. — I wish the readers of the 
Journal could have been with me on the Kennebec River* 
October 27 last, that they might have enjoyed an object-* 
lesson upon the subject of water fowl in Maine. On that 
day there was "bedded" in the river between Brown's 
Point and- the lower end of Swan Island not less than; 
two thousand ducks, and probably more, the aggregate 
being made up of easily defined flocks of black ducks, 
redheads, American scaup, lesser scaup, mallards;: 
widgeon, gadwalls and ruddy ducks, and probably otherl 
varieties. : These birds had been harassed for weeks| 
gradually becoming shy of gunning floats, and had takeii 
refuge in 'the deep open water. Here they rested during; 
the day, secure from molestation, for, long before a floall 
could approach within gunshot, those nearest would tak^ 
wing, and then, after a moment's hesitation, the entire! 
flock would rise with a roar like a mighty cataract or 21 
swiftly moving railroad train, and, flying up the river s 
quarter of a mile, would settle upon the water again. ; 
In closing, permit me to make mention of the only 
duck that is now met with more rarely than formerly, and 
they stand alone as the one species evidently decreasing 
I refer to .'that beautiful bridal duck, the wood duck {Aix. 
sponsa), they of the unsurpassed plumage, clothed as thej' 
are in a veritable Joseph's coat of many colors. I feai 
these birds are nearing extinction, as during the past twc 
years I have failed to observe a single specimen in th( 
bay or elsewhere. Verily " 'Tis pity, and pity 'tis 'tif; 
true." But we have an evident increase of the severa] 
exceedingly desirable species referred to above to com^ 
pensate in a measure for the loss of this one, and possi- 
bly with a rigid enforcement of that wise statute pro-- 
hibiting spring shooting, the few surviving ones may b<i 
spared to multiply and replenish the earth, a consummai 
tidn devoutly to be wished. 
Natfows Island CI«b Annual Meeting. 
The annual meeting of the Narrows Island Club wa 
held on the evening of April 10, at the Hoffman House 
New York City. The president, Mr. J. Burling Law 
rence, occupied the chair. 
After reading the reports of the secretary and treas 
urer and various committees, officers were elected fo: 
the ensuing year as follows : 
President, J. B. Lawrence ; Vice-President, Hen . 
Sampson; Secretary and Treasurer, William H. Whee 
lock; Executive Committee, R. H. Robertson, T. S 
Young, Jr., George Bird Grinnell and the officers ex' 
oMcio. 
The President made an interesting address, going ove^ 
the history of the club for the past year and emphasiz; 
ing its most noteworthy events. So far as the shooting 
goes, the past season was one of the most successful 
that the club had had. On the other hand, more thai 
half the birds killed were taken during the very earlj 
part of the season. During the winter there were thre'f 
freezes, one of which lasted for several weeks, and durinj 
this time absolutely no birds were about ; all, it is be 
lieVed, 'having gone far to the south of their usual win- 
teri-ijg grounds. 
The financial condition of the club is excellent and al 
its prospects are bright. 
opening of the Trout Season in 
Pennsylvania* 
The trout season in Pennsylvania begins the middle of 
April and ends the last of July. ' The style of fishing done 
in the streams of the Alleghany Mountains of Pennsyl- 
vania depends on three things: The advance of the 
season, the size of the stream, and the skill of the fisher- 
man. At the opening of the season, while there is still 
some snow water in the streams, the angler is forced to 
use bait. An occasional warm afternoon will bring out 
the flies, and he may use his fly-rod for two or three 
hours, but if he expects to make a creditable catch for 
the day, he must descend to bait. Of this he may use 
three kinds. He may spin a minnow in the riffles and 
through the pools, he may fish from a rock or a raft in 
the deep pools with a sawyer or grub, or he may load his 
hook with angleworms and catch trout or catch nothing, 
as he is skillful or unskillful with this kind of bait. 
Of the three kinds, the minnow fisherman displays the 
most skill and has undoubtedly the best time of it. He 
must know how to put on his minnow so as to make it 
spin in a lively manner ; he sees his trout when it strikes, 
and he catches the largest trout in the stream. It is no 
mean sport, and the skillful minnow fisherman is a much 
rarer man than the successful fly-fisherman. To fish a 
large stream in such a way as to cover it thoroughly,; to 
know the best point to cross a stiff riffle without being 
washed down into the pool ; to keep himself in fresh bait ; 
to know instantly when the trout has struck; to keep his 
line taut until it has swallowed the bait ; to hook his trout 
■with a quick jerk, and to land it with the least risk of 
losing it, require good judgment and much experience. 
I heard an old angler once tell a young enthusiast that 
of course he could teach him how to fish with a minnow. 
He had once taught a man who caught "a trout the first 
day he went out." One the first day would be a fair num- 
ber for the beginner. I once fished with an expert 
angler who had never before fished with a minnow, and in 
spite of all help, instruction, and favors in good positions 
at the pool, he made a complete failure of it, and spent 
the day between fits of temper and chagrin. He was a 
big, strong man, but had to be helped across all bad 
places; he fished at the wrong points on the stream; he 
could not tell a trout bite from a stone bite; and when 
he did get a bite he allowed so much slack that the trout 
wound the line around stone on the bottom, and when 
he jerked he hooked a stone while the trout disgorged 
the bait. In a day's fishing he caught three trout when 
he should have caught ten times that number. 
Unless it has been an unusually early spring, the trout 
at the opening of the season are still in the pools, and the 
experienced angler pulls his minnow through these pools 
near the bottom with short jerks. He does not see his 
minnow, and he must be able to stop jerking the instant a 
trout takes the bait. He must wait until the trout has 
started away from him with the bait before attempting to 
hook it. The tip of his rod must be elevated and the line 
kept taut, and when ready he must strike upward and 
not sidewise. A large trout will usually tug at the bait 
and work with it before swallowing it and moving off. 
and every motion of the fish can be felt. The tyro will 
strike too soon and snag his fish, only to miss it entirely, 
for it will not bite again. A fisherman once told me that 
after feeling a large trout take hold, he had taken time 
to light his pipe and get it well started before striking 
the fish. He wanted to be sure of it, and he was, for he 
1 
showed it to me in his basket, and it was a beauty. O 
course there are exceptions to the rule that the trout will 
not bite again after being pricked. I was once fishing 
ahead of my father, who was crowding me a little toe! 
close for comfort, and in my hurry I jerked too soon anc 
too hard on a good sized trout. When I went to put v 
new bait on I found the bony rim of the trout's lip on mj! 
hook. While I was again baiting my hook, my father hac 
thrown into the pool and in a minute had landed a troui 
that was bleeding at the mouth, where the bony rim wasi 
missing. My, how he crowed over me! 
During the early part of May the trout move up on tht 
riffles, and the minnow fisherman casts across the stream 
and allows the current to spin his minnow and to bring is 
diagonally back to him. He then moves down a step and 
repeats the cast. In this way he will cover every part of 
riffle from the head to the foot and get a rise from every 
hungry trout in the riffle. His minnow is kept only a few 
inches under water, and he sees each trout that strikes asi 
plainly as the fly-fisherman sees his. In fact, the trouil 
will sometimes leap entirely out of the water and take th« 
minnow going down. This kind of fishing usually comes 
after a slight rise in the stream. A thunder shower maybe 
has "shaken them loose from the stones," the fisherman 
says, and sent them up out of the pools into the swifter 
water. It is curious how much keener a trout is to bite! 
after he has moved out of his winter pool. Maybe thi^ 
move is only a few feet, but it seems to make a great dif-; 
ference. In the pool he would feed only at regular inter-* 
vals, but on the riffle he seems to be always hungry. One 
morning I had a trout make several passes at my min-S' 
now in the head of a pool as I was fishing up a stream;, 
but it did not mean business. Three hours later, coming 
down, I found this trout twenty feet up the riffle, and it* 
