Another report refers to seven on the Clark Ranch at Bulkley Lake
in early may, and Mr. Clifford McNeil saw a small flock on the
Tahtsa River during the first week in May.

Mallard--Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus.

A population of mallards is widely distributed geographically
and also in respect of habitat but nowhere is the species particularly
common in summer. It is an abundant transient and the numbers com-
prising both spring and autumn flocks are said to be impressive. Mr.
J. Sugden, in a personal communication, gives an estimate of 1, 500+
at Francois Lake on April el, 1943.

Each of two pairs under observation at Puntchesakut Lake occupied
territories about one-half mile apart that consisted of a small sedge
marsh and narow marshy bay. The male and female of one pair were seen
together daily, or the male alone on the territory awaiting the female,
until May 13--after that date the female disappeared and presumably was
incubating. On May 17 the two males were seen together for the first
time.

Females with broods of young inhabited lakes and marshes of
many different types; a single brood sometimes representing the
entire waterfowl population of a pond or even that of a fairly large
lake. The first brood of downy young was recorded on June 6 at
Bouchie Lake. The average number of young in 11 broods, counted
between June 6 and July 15, was 9.1. The average number of young
in five broods counted between July 30 and August 8 was 5.4. The
earliest brood of flying young was noted on August 4 at Keefe Lake.

The first post-breeding flock of males, in this instance So;
was observed at Puntatenkut Creek on May 31, These were in various
stages of the moult to eclipse. Through the summer Single eclipse
males and small flocks up to 15, in several instances including a
few adult fenales, were noted at various places. No large flocks
of post-breeding males came under observation. The largest popula-
tion observed was at Shafer Lake where on August 7 approximately 50
adults and young were counted. Another small concentration of
adults and young, some 40 birds, was seen on the Nechako River close
to Vanderhoof on August 15. A month later, according to a reliable
report, over 1,000 were using this area.

It is stated by hunters that in the Vanderhoof region mallards
do not visit the stubble fields in autumn to feed on grain as they
now do regularly in the southern interior.

Mallards sometimes winter in these northern latitudes. Thus
at Francois Lake in the mild winter of 1945-44, when the lake did

- 54 -