. Feathered game of the Northeast . boschas.) From the records of our older gimners thenumber of Mallards now visiting our sectionshows a material decrease in the last few up to fifteen years ago they were not un-common, but now this world-wide favorite withthe wildfowler is seldom seen here (Maine) ex-cept in the favored waters of MerrjuieetingBay, which place, as regards the number andvariety of wildfowl found, is probably the bestduck-shooting point anywhere along the north-east coast of the United States. In Casco Baywe may take fifty Mallards in a season, thoughI think this is
. Feathered game of the Northeast . boschas.) From the records of our older gimners thenumber of Mallards now visiting our sectionshows a material decrease in the last few up to fifteen years ago they were not un-common, but now this world-wide favorite withthe wildfowler is seldom seen here (Maine) ex-cept in the favored waters of MerrjuieetingBay, which place, as regards the number andvariety of wildfowl found, is probably the bestduck-shooting point anywhere along the north-east coast of the United States. In Casco Baywe may take fifty Mallards in a season, thoughI think this is a very liberal the central portion of the continentthis is the most numerous species of with all this scarcity of Mallards in ourwaters there is still a crumb of comfort for usin the thought that we have the black duck, anear relation, and as a game bird fully the equalof, and in some respects superior to, Mr. Mal-lard himself. Were it not for the black duckthe New England wildfowler who is not con-. Q < -J THE MALLARD 275 tent with shooting **trash ducks might as wellsell his ten-bore for old metal for all thepleasure he would get from it; but the crop ofduskies seems to be pretty much the same eachyear, for which blessing we should be trulythankful. After their arrival on the breeding groundsthe Mallards choose their mates, the drakesoften fighting fierce battles for the possessionof the belles of the flock. As each pair agreesto join forces for the season they leave the mainbody to seek out a suitable nesting usually make their nest upon the ground,but will not refuse to occupy the deserted nestof hawk or crow if in a spot where they havereason to think that the ground floor is nests are lined with dry grass and downfrom their own bodies. The complement ofeggs varies from eight to ten, dingy yellowishgray in color, and not to be distinguished fromthose of the domestic bird. The period of in-cubation is about four we
Size: 1305px × 1914px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectgameandgamebirds
