49 
It will be noted that in Stratum A-East the August figure for actual broods 
exceeded that for early July broods and potential broods combined. The discrepancy 
is partly explained by the fact that there is always a certain percentage of nesting 
pairs tha give no evidence of their presence during the regular July survey. These 
are the pairs whose hens are incubating clutches sufficiently far along that the 
drakes have banded up and left for moulting places. 
The late surveys showed that under some circumstances the potential later 
broods indicated in the July survey, on which the final forecast must usually be 
based for regulations’ purposes, do contribute significantly to the season's production. 
Furthermore, this Potentail later brood figure can be conservative, rather than 
optimistic. 
Banding 
In 1954, eighteen workers took part in the Saskatchewan banding program, 
exclusive of personnel on special study areas. This compares with five or six in 
past years and was made possible because of the participation of State personnel 
from the Mississippi Flyway and an increase in U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
game management agents. The objective this year was correspondingly more 
restrictive--a province-wide sample of flightless young mallards. This made the 
operation much more difficult than in previous years when moulting adults or the 
young of all species were trapped. 
The program was directed by J. B. Gollop, Canadian Wildlife Service, and 
F. A. Thompson, U. 5S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Federal, State and Provincial 
personnel were divided into four crews as follows: 
Cc. R. Hayes, Leader, and L. M. Martin, R. C. Tice, Leader, U. S. Fish and 
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wildlife Service 
J. M. Drennon and H. L. Shannon, J. R. Tester, Minnesota Conservation 
Tennessee Game and Fish Commission Department 
Vic sorokowsky, Saskatchewan Game Branch: R. C. Henson, C. J. Perkins(part) 
and R. K. Yancey (part), Louisiana 
Wild Life and Fisheries Commission 
D. W. Krieble, Leader, U. S. Fish and R. Buller, Leader and Ashton Brann, 
Wildlife Service U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
David Donaldson and Carl Hunter, Arkansas L. G. Helm and F. B. Dowling, 
Game and Fish Commission Missouri Conservation Commission 
Banding was carried on between July 10 and August 12, under what were 
probably the most adverse conditions experienced during that period in recent years. 
Rain, a very late brood season, the nature of the program's objective and the fact 
that it was the first year for such an expanded operation caused results somewhat 
less than had been anticipated. On several occasions drives had to be postponed or 
cancelled and large numbers of birds had to be released because of rain; impassable 
roads were the order of the day. In spite of these difficulties, 1340 local (flightless 
young) mallards were banded in all sections of the province south of 53°. A total of 
9376 ducks and 241 geese were banded. A summary of the catch is given in Table IV. 
