Region Hi The first and second bettors of the main streanea are included 
an this region. fest of the firet bottom acila are well dreined and brewn ino 
color. These are clasaified in the Genesee or Fantington seriee accoréing to 
the gource cf the sediments. In the eecond bottoms, Fox and Homer soile are 
feund geturring ae brown of brownieh-gray esotle. 
Fo A ne 
It wae found that the river traneecte should have been ran a month 
earlier in scuthern Indfane; i.¢., beginning April 1. Weod duck brooda tezan 
to appears ky May 1, and the earliest hatching date was calculated to be April 
2a. Next season's work will be conducted earlier in order to obtain pre-neet- 
ing Population data. 
Between May 1 and May 72, &R Linear miles of rivers were floated on the 
five transects. Including hrooda, the average number of ducke per mile wae 
3.4 on thie firet coverage, Individual averages ranged from 0,2 ducke per mila 
on the Kankakee to 11.8 on the Muscetatuck. This average dropped to ¢.4 ducka 
per mile on the second coverage, which was made in June and duly, but by this 
time, young were flying and trocds had disreraed. 
The wood duck population on the Wabarh River showed a remarkable drop 
between the two coverages. Cn May 3, 44 adult wood ducks were tallled on thie 
lf-cile trangect, but on June 12, only 4 adults were seen and one brood, It 
aptpeare that some of the birds present in May could have been mlgrante and 
there is the rorsitility that breeding palre moved up into the smaller tribu- 
tary streamea to neet. 
Although the Kankakee Hiver valley hat always been considered an 
important wood duck producing Area, unueually small numbers of ducks were 
found on the two floate, However, 1t ia felt that since the particular 
stretch of river which was ron has been dredged inte a straizht, deep channel, 
the ducke tend te frequent the feeder atréame, ditches, and bayous which occur 
commenly along the river. Reports received from fishermen living elong the 
Tiver indicated that in some "cut-offe" wood duck populations were normal. A 
thriving population of beavers along the Kankakee has been a factor in forning 
suitable ponda and guilet poole on which wood ducks can Joaf and rear their 
young. Many of the dredge ditches which drain inte the river have heen dammed 
acroes tnelir mouths by bearer. 
In general, it is felt that river trips af this type yield useful data, 
especially in obtaining brood counte of Glaee I broede. Ae the broode become 
older, snd wiser, it becomes more difficult to cbhtain complete brood counts. 
Cn the lerger rivers, such aa the White and Webash, it wank noticed thet singles, 
pairs, and troods often would sneak into the bordering willows and run up ¢rer 
the bank into the censae weeda before a count could be made. It is not known 
how many ducke were entirely oissed on thle account but it seems to be a cummen 
eceurrence with the wood duck. 
Brood data were obtained for 3& broods on river transecta (Table 1), 
One brood of black duck*, 2 of hooded merfaneer, and 32 of wood ducks were 
encountered. It was not possible te obtain &@ count on another brood observed. 
The average number per trood wae 6.0 for all species. 
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