Shiftea in species composition from May 1947 to May 1949, are indicated: 
Percent of the Duck Fopmulation 
1948 00 
Mallard as at 
Scaup 1? 10 
Mine-winged teal 15 al 
Pintail -. 2 ? 
Canvasback 4 4 
Baldpate 5 | 
Buddy 5 a 
Shoveler 4 Le] 
Gadwall a B 
Redhead Fi 5 
Other 6 a 
100 100 ¢ 
For three yeara in succession, between the dates June 23 and 327, a 
SO percent merial inventory haa been made of the same aquare-mile bleck. Hare 
are the reesulte: 
Potholes Ducke _Ureeda 
Z er_ gq. mi er eq. e | 
1947 41.2 19.9 0.6 
1948 40.8 15.9 1.80 
1949 36.0 27.6 0.76 
Note that a 74 percent increase in adulte ie indicated thie year as 
compared to laat, but that & 110 percent decrease in broods ia alao evidenced. 
A atrong wind blowing during the 1949 inventory may account for small numbers 
of brooda recorded. However, we found other indications that the incressa in 
breeding paire did not result in a corresponding increase in broods. Additional 
information about Distriet @ 1s ziven in reporta by Eiel and Evang. 
Diatriot 15 
The Red River Yalley and Portage Plains, together comprising a block the 
sige of Districtea 1 through 5 combined, had a reduction in duck numbers this 
year aa compared to last. Heason: - the 1948 water levels were high; thie 
year'a were low, Total coverage by ground and alr was 64,25 square miles, & 
2 ¢ percent sample. round counts showed 1.5 ducks per square mile (3.6 in 
1948); aerial counts showed 0.5 ducks per square mile (16.0 in 1948). The 
high figure obtained In the 1948 aerial counte wes due to traneecta over 
extensive flooded fields. Thita year at the same tims the filelda were dry. 
Dietrict 18 1a not the only one showing lossed in 1949. The Interlake 
region (Districts 11, 15 and 17} and that part of District 11 lying west of 
Lake Manitoba aleo had & sharp reduction in ducks except on permanent marshes. 
Heason:= a drastic reduction in transient watere as compared to 1948. Luckily, 
however, the areas experiencing loes of surface waters, while occupying nearly 
asp large a pert of agricultural Manitoba as those having excellent water condi- 
tions, are far lese inportant as duck producers. Hence, the gaing recorded in 
the southweatern part of the Frovince far outweighed the lonaen elsewhere. For 
the main farm dietricts of Manitoba, of which approximately 21,000 aquare miles 
' 
L 
1: 
60 
