- 10 - 
or looB rloe from litallards, tIs^ J. W. Burnett, John liattoz, J* ?ar<ly, 
^obBBffer and a Flrenohnan named ilouton* Tbeae Beesaed to be the main caaea 
in whloh damage naa Inflloted by duoka. 
In Gillatt, H* £• Grill of the htilvell Ueroantile Comi)aDy said 
that they had exx>erienoed slight damage from ducica* The daaiage was cooi- 
paratively light howoTer as the birds did not come in until threshing had 
begun and the iibrroat was oofflpleted at onoe. Some damage was alao attrib- 
uted to these birds in fields belonging to C* Butoher, W. imngham, and 
C* A* Frausen* As has been stated aboTo the season about Oillett was 
earlior than farther north and praotioally all of the rioe orou had been 
threshed by Hovember' 16* There was little reliance to be placed upon re- 
ports of danago by duoits hore as 1 learned that there has been much vio- 
•« 
lation of the law {prohibiting night shooting in this region and men put 
forth tho excuse that they were doing it to protect their crops* Ae a 
matter of faot tho only reports of daaiage heard in Gillett that seemed 
bona fide related to the fields destroyed near De Vitt and Stuttgart that 
have been desoribad above* 
At Stuttgart 1 heard aomewhat indefinite reports of damage by ducks 
to rioe on the farms of W* U. Sorsworthy and W* 6* Walton near dt. Charles* 
bat these were so vague that little oould be learned regarding the situa- 
tion there. 4a tho area was remote and rather difficult of access It was 
not visited as it was oonsidsred that these rumors were too indefinite to 
warrant the expanse inoident to further investigstions* 
From tho aooount given aoove it appears that ttallards inflicted 
more or less sorlous damage in four fields near Stuttgart* and in about 
twelve near De Witt* It was estitaated that in these fields wild ducks 
