In the Middle Atlantic States, the Champlain-Hudson Valley 
birds exhibit a tendency to spread inland from the outer coast (fig. 9) 
in contrast to the blacks from the northeast which showed a predomin- 
antly coastal pattern. For the most part, these Vermont and New York 
birds are restricted primarily to New Jersey and Delmarva Peninsula in 
their movements through the Middle Atlantic States. With the direct 
recoveries the most southern records are in Florida, whereas with the 
indirects, South Carolina is the southern limit. 
Twenty-four percent of the direct recoveries were from New 
Jersey south, with cnly 4 percent from the coastal states south of 
Virginia. This is a somewhat lower percentage of recoveries taken in 
southern areas than that obtained from bandings in Maine and the Quebec- 
Labrador area. However, it is felt that the heavy local recovery (60 
percent) from Lake Champlain and Tomhannock is undoubtedly responsible 
for this reduction in the number of southward records. Northern Lake 
Champlain in particular is not considered an important black duck win- 
tering ground for most of the birds are eventually forced southward by 
weather. It seems to be characteristic of large water areas in the 
northern States where black ducks can settle down out of gun range, 
that the birds have a tendency to linger. Whereas with smaller habitats 
the initial gunning pressure is enough to drive the birds out of the 
country or keep them moving. 
Indirect recoveries indicate a relation with the northeast 
Maritime area, as well as Ontario, western Quebec and central Pennsyl- 
vania (fig. 10). Perhaps some blacks follow up the St. Lawrence River 
to the east shore of Lake Ontario, thence across New York and Pennsyl- 
vania to the middle Atlantic area. Approximately 7 percent of the 
recoveries came from eastern New England and Maritime Canada. Thirty- 
three percent of the recoveries were taken in the middle Atlantic states 
from New Jersey to South Carolina, with the Carolinas accounting for 
about 6 percent. A number of the southern records were taken inland 
wiich may represent an overland migration as well as a coastal movement. 
Limited bandings on the St. Lawrence River in southwestern Quebec were 
carried out during the early 1930's at La Batture, 60 miles east of 
Quebec City and during 1950 at Sorel about 90 miles west of Quebec City. 
The distribution from the eastern station, with 25 records, indicates 
a closer relation to the Lake Champlain bandings than the pattern of 
distribution from the Sorel station. In the latter instance, however, 
there are too few records (14) upon which to base an appraisal. 
Before going into a discussion of banding in the states from 
New Jersey south, it would be preferable to consider the Ontario, New 
York, and Pennsylvania bandings, since flights from these states inter- 
mingle with populations of the middle and south Atlantic coastal areas. 
~20- 
