above in ths Parklands of tha northcsntreal and northwsst. Only the Shert-Grass 
Prairies of ths southbwast Ceailed to recsive adequats rains, and this Tegion had 
a very low naating population. It might be said that those parts of Saskatchs- 
wan that ot planty of rain thie ssason had plenty of ducks. 
Noating Syuccssa 
Ths oumbsr of hroods por ugsting pair reflects these favorable conditions. 
A total of 364 nasting pairs (313 paira and 51 lony drakes) was observed on ths 
first coverage? of production study argsasa. <A total of 193 broods showed up sub- 
asquently on thess arses, or one brood of ducklings per 1.8 potential nesting 
peira. 
Brood mortelity was not acrious. The Class I broods seen on study arsas 
paysraged &.9 ducklings, while Class ITI broods averaged 5.7 individuals, This 
would indicats an ayerses loas of 1.2 ducklings per broods. Hreods asen off 
thy production study areas averaged 6.8 young per Class I brood, and 6.2 for 
Clase ITI. Ths averags mortality on tha basis of all broods recorded wag 
approzimatsly one duckling per brood. The avrerags productive adult pair pro- 
duesd approximatsly 6 Class ITI ducklinge. 
Banding 
The 1949 banding season was unusually ‘short. Comparatively fon youne wers 
available from tha poor, sarly hatch, and poung from second nestings and from 
the lats-nesting speciss remained in tha Aapen potholes instaad of coming out 
te larger lakes where thay could be trapped, Ths moulting perted fer adwlt 
mallards, pinteils, and teal was of short duration, and occurred almost aimul- 
tansously throughout the Provinces. 
Nevertheless, we bad a successful asason, and bandsd slightly over 4,000 
wWatsrfowl, principally blus-wingsd teal, mallards, ond pintails, Ons area, 
Eystrow Laks, produced almost 3,000 of this total, and also yislded ths largest 
Single catch of the season, {1,630 birds in one drive], Ths plans wes used to 
locats handing arsas and to dstermins ths proper tims for starting ach opera- 
tion, Ths airboat wag invaluable for moving squipment, and for driving ducks 
jn stallow grassy lakes, 
Ducks Uplinitsd psraeennsl and coop3rators, mombers of the staff of ths 
Provincial Museum, and 3 gumber of Canadian sportaman, assistsd us in banding. 
Dr. William Elder of tha University of Missouri employad hia fluoroscopic 
equipment to determins incidences of lead shot in tissusa of watorfowl trappa4d 
at Eyebrow Laks, 
Sune Dy 
As ths 1949 watsrfowl sgyason ect under way, drouth of major propertions 
waa imnminsnt in seuthweatern Saskatchswen, and threatened the whols Provinces, 
General railus after the middls of Way seased this situation in the Aspan Park- 
lends, but feiled to aid tha Short-Graas Prairisa of the southwest. Soms 
ducks, notably the mallard and blus—wingsd teal, moved northward inte the 
Parkland potholes. Other prairis nesters such as the baldpats and shoyeler 
Bbowed a lase pronounced nerthward movement, whils the pintsail, normally the 
most abundant nasting duck in southern Saskatchewan, sessmed most reluctant ta 
Acespt ths wooded potholes and streams as nsating habitat, 
51 
