Table 2, --Dota From South Dekotsa Weterforl Consus 
Ground Transects Established in L949 

Squers Per Square 
County Miles Total Fairs Hile 
mami sd Dicks Pairs 


Day 22,0 323 26.4 14-7 
Grant 13.8 251 36.5 18.3 
Terauld 13.2 b4 9.9 5,1 
Laks 19.2 Bo 8.2 4.45 
Marshall 20.5 506 £6.60" “2b 7 
Miner 30.8 L134 8,6 tee 
Sanborn 15.8 Bb 10,9 era 
Spink* 24.5 41 et 1.3 
Condington 17.5 268 26,4 15,3 
Total; 177.3 1752 
AVSTago: 9.9 
*A larger sample wea taken in Spink County. Only ona of ths transects 
Was tabuleted bacauss the total sample was not in proportion to tha 
sizes of samples from other counties, 
In 1948 the average number of pairs of bresding ducks per square mils was 15.6 
for all ths transscts ron. In 1949 the average density of breeding ducks on 
thes? aame transects was 19.3 pairs per square mils, The increases in density 
of brasding ducks on the areas sampled was 74 psreent. 
This increas was not uniform for all of the transects, In facet, Table 1 
indicates that 11 of tas 22 proups of transects showse on incrsess in the 
density of breeding ducks while the remaining 11 showsd a deersess, The 24 
peresnt inersas? mentioned above is explained by the foct that the averages 
decreas? in density for the ll proups of transects showing a decresss was only 
34 peresnt and involved only 2,774 of ths 5,479 pairs of ducks observed in ths 
total sampls, whils ths aversg?s increase for the groups of transects snowing 
an inerease was $1 peresnt and invelved 3,495 of the 4,479 pairs in the total 
sampls, 
The caot population in 1943 was 7.4 birds par square mile, This year 
there were only 3.7 coats per aquarse mile - 50 percant leas. This should not 
be tekken a6 4@ trues indication of the dsgres of cheng? in ths coot population 
becauss the number of coocts abssrtsd is not necsssearily in proportion te 
the number present, Sines the sexes eannot be differentiated in the field, 
one cannot tall whether two coots observed on a water area represent ons mated 
pair or tha waiting males of two pairs, 
L?2 
