31 
Stratum B shows an increase in both puddle and diving ducks with an over-all 
increase of breeding indices of 21 percent. Two species, pintails and ruddies, 
failed to show increases over last year and the mallard, the principal species of the 
stratum, showed only a slight gain, 4 percent. Rather substantial gains were noted 
by minor species of puddle ducks, and all species of diving ducks, except ruddies. 
By way of explanation of the increases in all minor species, we believe that 
a certain portion of these increases can be ascribed to the use of the dictaphone. 
By use of the dictaphone, we were able to record more data on species composition. 
Thus, and probably rightly so, more of the unidentified segment has been prorated 
to the lesser species. This ability to record data on minor Species has caused 
larger increases where, with small numbers involved, changes can be great. To 
some extent this will account for part of the great increases in minor species, 
Table Ill. - Species Composition of Breeding Population - Aerial. 
a a Ne 

1953 1954 
Species Prs. /Sq. Mi. % of Tot. Pop. Prs. /Sq. Mi. % of Tot. Pop. 
Mallard 7.0 37.6 7.1 35.8 
Pintail 6.7 36.0 5.5 27.8 
B-w. teal 0.5 2.7 1.3 6.4 
G-w. teal 0.07 0.4 0.6 2.3 
Gadwall 0.1 0.5 0.4 1.9 
Baldpate Lowd 7.0 1.3 6.5 
Shoveler 1.2 6.5 1.3 6.5 
Redhead 0.3 1.6 0.3 lr? 
Canvasback ‘0.3 1.6 0.4 2.0 
Scaup 0.95 a | 1.5 7.4 
Ruddy 0.1 0.5 0.1 0.5 
Bufflehead 0.08 0.4 0.1 0.6 
Goldeneye 0.08 0.4 0.1 0.6 
Cinn. teal 0.01 0.1 trace, trace 
Total 18.6 100.0 19. 87 100.0 
Success of the Season 
Each year since the drought of 1949 and 1950, waterfowl breeding populations 
in Alberta have continued to increase. Production of broods has lagged occasionally 
during this period because of adverse weather factors, but general conditions in the 
summer of 1954 were such as to foster an appreciable increase in over-all production. 
(See Table IV.) 
