44,000 thie year, or nearly 90,000 ducks. Since the 1948 gaine on Netley, 
Melts, and Big Grase Marshes combined only amounted to about 10,000 ducks, 
it can be aseumed that losees on theae emall waters cance] most of the saing 
on the large waters, Considering the Manitoba lowlanda ae a whole (34,815 
equare miles in Districts 11, 15, and 17) we helieve the increase did not 
exceed 10 percent, 
District 14 
The Saskatchewan River Delta registered gains this year comparable to 
thoee in southwestern Manitoba. For the Delta proper, including an area of 
about 7,000 square miles, the increase was from 31.5 to 69.2 ducks per equare 
mile. This gives an index figure of 63,000 ducks in 1948 and 138,400 thie 
year - an increnee of 78,400 ducks. The 6,535 square milea of Piatrict 16, 
which eurrounds the Sagkatchewan Hiver Delta, aleo exhibited gains. Especially 
wae thie true on Rocky and Heot Lakes near the Delta, which last year had 
about 12 ducke per square mile and this year 126. Gaina on some of the larger 
lnkes between The Pas and Flin Flon were offget aomewhat by losses on small 
water areas between the lakes. Fifty aquare milea of large lakes averaged 
44,2 ducks per aquare mile while 21 square miles surrounding these lakes 
aAreraged 7.8 ducke per square mile. Onutaide the Delta proper about 20 ducks 
per equare mile were estimated. This amounts ta £5 percent increase over 
lant year. Sombining all information for Diatrict 16, an index figure of 
270,000 ducka was calculated. 
THatrict 15 
Ano improvement of from 16.2 to 20.6 ducka per sousre mile, or 27 percent 
was noted in this district. On Whitemonth Lake within this district the rate 
of improvement alao wat 27 percent. Increasing last year's index figure 
(64,280 ducke) by 27 percent, thie year’s figure would be #1,600. 
To summarize the information fer the regions discussed ahove} 
Population Indexes 
Revion Sguare Mileg 1542 1949 e of Incrence 
Farnlands PO, o74 2?4,000 632,900 
Lowlands 34,815 289,125 318,050 
District 16 2,655 L938 ,000 ard, O00 
Iietrict 19 6 B41 64,250 31,600 
70,065 820,385 1,802,550 
Dicks per equare mile 11.6 14.6 60% 
Rorthern and Eastern Menitoha 
Based on exploratory work in 1949, 1t appears that duck breeding 
densities in northern and esetern Manitoba are considerably lower than those 
in the regions discussed above. The sample totaled 419 aquare miles of 
traneectea eet of Lake Winnipeg and north to 60° north latitude, An average 
of 9.3 ducks per square mile was found along these transects. This average 
was Taised conaiderably by the 47 square mile traneect along Hudson's Bay 
where 42 ducke per square mile were found. Thia coastal concentration was 
largely drake pintails which apparently had come from other breeding grounds. 
62 
