JOURNAL OP MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIKTY. 89 



suitable to their needs and secluded enough for their safety while 

 breeding. When these successful broods make their appearance on 

 the wing, the numbers of the species appear, in these localities, very 

 considerable, and the opening of the shooting season is celebrated 

 by making good bags of the birds. Yet in other sections of 

 Maine, sections through which the migrants should pass, and for- 

 merly within their breeding area, they are so rare that the occurrence 

 of one or two birds is noteworthy. 



It was the sportsmen of such a section, whose location made the 

 truth of the case evident to them, who petitioned the legislature for 

 a perpetual close time, and it was sportsmen from the breeding 

 section, who are shooting the newly raised broods, who could not 

 see the need of such protection, because good numbers appear at 

 the close of the breeding season in their streams. To the latter, it 

 has not been convincingly shown that in reality they are, on their 

 opening days, cutting down the newly raised broods, sapping the 

 life of what should be our breeding stock. 



It is well known to those familiar with the literature that the 

 decade before the last Labrador Duck was killed that species 

 appeared to be quite common on the New England coast. 



Be it said to their credit, and for the encouragement of others, 

 that the gentlemen who urged the petition before the legislative 

 committee, for the perpetual protection of this Duck, true to their 

 convictions, have agreed to spare it on their shooting trips. 



It should be made the duty of each member of this society, in 



behalf of its motto, and the Maine Audubon society, to inform 



themselves of the conditions in their vicinities, and stand ready for 



action that will make the next attempt at protection successful. 



^Ai:i' sp07isa. 



'^Eide Dutcher, Bird Lore, Vol. IX, p. 189. 

 ^Sagittaria . 



*Year book, U. S. Dept. Agr., 1901, p. 447; also separatelj- printed. 

 '^Massachusetts, four counties in Maryland, one county in New York. Fisher, 

 p. 456. 



«Bird Ivore, Vol. IX, pp. 189-192. 

 'Bull. Univ. of Me., No. 3, p. 30. 

 8JOUR. Me. Orn. Sbc, Vol. VII, p. 13. 

 ^Feathered Game of the Northeast, p. 319. 



