Evening star., 1924-11-16


~ more bangs! "A whir Of fran
tic wings and what is left of
- flock of once peacefully
feeding wild ducks cleaves
the air at express train speed, Zoom-
ing upward and away from the thun-
derous destruction behind them.
Their comrades, some inert upon
The water and others fluttering madly
about in a vain endeavor to use wings
suddenly bereft of flight power, are
left behind. soon to be added to the
growing collection of other still, fea-
Z thered bodies between the two men
In the boat.
Seven" gleefully exclaims one of
the men as the last futtering duck is
captured. Gee, isn't that a pippin"
ne adds. netting the final acquisition,
while his even rove about, half visit
fully, in quest of a possibly over
looked bird.
fhe other answers assent only with
his eyes. and then gazes in the drec-
tlon taken by the sadly dwindled
mock, as if in regret that they, too
are not lying in the heap at his feet
The boat is rowed slowly back into
the reed-protected blind for period
of waiting, until the lifelike decoys
succeed in Turing another brood with
In reach of the belching guns.
Lighting his pipe, the taciturn
wonder where they live in Summer"
BY George" he adds. quickly,
there's one with tag on his leg"
Examining it more closely, he finds
a small aluminium band, with a num-
Der and the words biol. Surv" on
one side, and Wash, D. c." on the
other. He puts the band carefully in
his pocket and vows he will find out
something about the ducks he has
been shooting for years, without CIV
ing heed to the difference in species
or their habits.
x 4 x
TFWE to his word, the following
day finds him at the Biological
survey In Washington, where he is
directed to the office of Frederick C.
Lincoln, associate biologist, in charge
OF extensive bird-banding operations
throughout the country.
This bird was banded at Ithaca
y: Y, September Is. 1929" says Mr.
Lincoln. Another man was Just in
with a band from a mallard tagged
at Lake Scugog, Ontario, September
27, this year"
who does the banding? What are
they banded for? What are you try
Ing to find out? What, why, where,
etc? ?" asks the now interested hunter.
'One at a time" smiles Mr. Lincoln,
Bird banding operations are expect
cd to furnish the solution to a num-
Der of perplexing problems connected
with the habits of migrating birds.
How rapidly, for example, do the in
dividuals of any species travel on
their periodical migrations? Do mi
rating birds make the same stop
overs every year to feed? Do they
always follow the same route? How
long do birds live? Answers to these
and many other important questions
will be furnished in the course of time
from the records of banded birds.
We already have learned a lot
about the wild duck and his habits,
but there is a lot more to know. To
indicate what we are doing, last
March records for more than 5000
new banded birds were received by
the Biological Survey, bringing the
total number for the year to $4,000.
From January l, 1920, to June 80,
1923, more than 100 returns were re-
ceived. They ranged from localities a
few miles from the banding places to
points in South America, Africa and
islands in the Atlantic Ocean.
"A blue winged teal, banded at
Lake Scugog, Ontario, September "a,
1920. presents one of the most inter-
esting cases and shows not only the
wide range of these birds, but their
tremendous speed. This duck was
killed by hunter in the Caroni
Swamp, near Port Of Spain, Island of
Trinidad, December 8, 1920, or two
months and seven days after banding
in Canada. 1t must have flown close
to 5000 miles in that length of time"
THAT the Washingtonian has plenty
- of duck shooting at his very doors
Is ardently testified to by the num-
~ ha dnf
peake Bay from Chincoteague Island
up; the Potomac from Alexandria
down, and at numerous places on the
Patuxent, Severn and other nearby
streams. In fact, wherever there is
marshy ground there is duck hunt
ing, for the entire region is either
the winter quarters or the resting
place of virtually all waterfowl on
the long fiyway south along the At
1antic Coast.
Wherever there are muskrats, there
you will find ducks in season. They
both seek the swamp or reed-infested
fringes of streams and bays. The
muskrat Is fond Of lily and other
water plant bulbs, but he Is waste
full in eating and digs for the heart
The duck is not so fastidious, but
eats what the muskrat leaves and
then dives for other bulbs on his own
hook.
About $4,000 game licenses issued
in Maryland this year, and perhaps
more in Virginia, give another indi-
cation that the Washingtonian is moi
entirely ignorant of hunting possibil'
dties in this section. 1t is a matter OF
common knowledge, however. that the
average citizen of the District, wher
he thinks either of hunting or fish
jng, wants to HE himself away .te
some far cline, an apt illustration
that distance lends enchantment tc
tho view"
Seeking f1rst-hand information or
waterfowl shooting, all roads seem te
lead to William NJ. (BilD Mooney
Washington city postmaster. "Bilf
is the bane of Washington writer's or
fishing and hunting. No story or
these subjects seems complete with
out mentioning his name. Then the
editor poises his blue pencil threaten.
ingly over the lines and looks at the
crinGing reporter, as if to say:
How does that guy get that way
Does he slip YOU fellows something
Suy publicity