or live decoys. The readiness with which the different 
ducks come to decoys must always be taken into 
account. In the Wenham records all birds seen were 
recorded, whenever identification was possible, as well as 
those that were shot, so that there is ample data for a cor¬ 
rected status figure. 
An account of each species will be given separately, and 
then the results summarized in the form of a status table. 
ANAS PLATYRHYNCHOS. 
The Mallard is an irregular but not exactly a rare 
migrant through Essex County. Thirty-nine were taken 
in all, or one and three-tenths per cent. Twelve others 
were identified, but of course there may and probably were 
a few more with Black Ducks, flying by, too far away to 
make out. The best Mallard year was 1901, during which 
fifteen were secured. In the period 1899 to 1904, thirty- 
one Mallards were taken, as against only eight for the years 
1905 to 1920. This is rather interesting, as Mallards 
throughout the East have shown a greater tendency than 
Black Ducks to fall off in numbers, due no doubt to their 
breeding grounds having been much more seriously inter¬ 
fered with. The corrected status of the Mallard is prob¬ 
ably not far from one per cent of all ducks. The reason, 
however, is probably to be found in the fact that the period 
1901—1905 was for some reason more productive of 
migrants from the West than any like period since then. 
ANAS RUBRIPES RUBRIPES 
and 
ANAS RUBRIPES TRISTIS. 
The Black Duck, by far the commonest species, comprised 
thirty-eight per cent of all ducks shot. There were eleven 
hundred and ninety-six taken at the “stand,” and several 
times that number seen in the pond, or flying by. Inas¬ 
much as Black Ducks decoy more readily to a blind on the 
shore, than do some of the diving-ducks, a larger proportion 
