Success of the Season 
Table II. - Comparative Aerial Brood Survey Data. 

Species . 1952 1953 1954 
Black Duck 
Adults 875 1,516 894 
Broods 60 46 55 
Ring-necked Duck 
Adults 86 116 237 
Broods 6 4 z 
Golden-eye 
Adults 54 66 61 
Broods 1 9 2 
Others 
Adults > ae 82 71 
Broods 8 - 2 
Total Game Ducks 
Adults 1,112 1,780 1,263 
Broods 75 59 — 59 
This table apparently indicates little change in the black duck situation if the 
early nesting season of last year, mentioned in the 1953 report, is taken into c onsid- 
eration. Golden-eye have remained much the same. It is felt that the increase in 
the count of adult ring-neck has some correlation with nesting loss previous to the 
date of the survey. The decrease in "others" is made up to a large extent by a 
smaller count of blue-winged teal---another late nesting species. 
On the whole it would seem that there has been a drop in total brood production 
largely brought about by nest failures in late nesting species. 
It must also be borne in mind that high water during the time of the summer brood 
survey may have affected the counts especially in areas such as the lower Saint John 
River where there is normally a good population of both blue-winged teal and ring-necks. 
Brood Survival 
Of a total of 112 broods tallied by ground survey parties this year, 72 were 
encountered in the lower Saint John River Valley. About half the blacks and all the 
golden-eyes listed in Table III came from this region. 
