107 
Success of the Season 
No studies on breeding population success were made in the strata covered 
herein, and therefore no information is available on this matter. Although the 
season was later than that of 1952, the weather in general was not exceptionally 
adverse and, considering the stability of water conditions, there is no evidence to 
indicate that the breeding population was not moderately successful, 
Summary 
1. The waterfowl breeding population in Stratum C Ontario showed an increase 
of approximately 62 percent, Stratum C Saskatchewan, a decrease of about 40 percent, 
and Stratum E Saskatchewan, an increase of approximately 185 percent. Considering 
Strata © in Ontario and Saskatchewan as one unit, and using the uncorrected total 
duck index for the years 1952 and 1953, there has been a change of only plus 3.3 
percent in the breeding population for this area (928, 842 for 1952 and 959, 785 for 
1953). 
2. The scaup decreased in Strata C in both Ontario and Saskatchewan, 
3. The mallard increased in Strata C in both Ontario and Saskatchewan. 
4. On the basis of corrected figures, the total duck index for Strata C in 
both Ontario and Saskatchewan is over one million (1,118,344). Approximately 
54.5 percent of the ducks in this area are "sporting ducks", providing mergansers 
are not considered as sporting ducks. 
