THE SHOREBIRDS OR WADERS 153 



All of the shorebirds, or waders, are pictured and de- 

 scribed in "Our Feathered Game," and the reader will 

 there find a brief mention of their habitat. Like other 

 game birds, the shorebirds which formerly nested in any 

 locality are the easiest ones to restore and make abundant. 

 Many birds which never are seen at present will return 

 to safe nesting grounds when they learn that they will be 

 properly looked after and protected. If they appear in 

 small numbers they should be encouraged to remain and 

 nest. 



The distribution and migration of the North American 

 shorebirds is exhaustively discussed by Mr. Wells W. 

 Cooke in Bulletin 35, Biological Survey, U. S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture. 



The Wilson's snipe, one of the most valuable shore- 

 birds for sporting and economic purposes, has been driven 

 away, like the ducks, from many localities, by the drain- 

 ing of the marshes. When it becomes known that the 

 snipe and ducks, which can be reared on many wet lands, 

 are worth more than any crop which can be produced on 

 the same ground, I believe some of the snipe lands will 

 be preserved for sport and for profit. The snipe breeds 

 in many of the Northern States, and the number of breed- 

 ing birds can be increased, undoubtedly, in places where 

 the snipe now nests. The breeding range of the snipe 

 and some other species possibly can be extended South- 

 ward by the practical protection which is extended by 

 gamekeepers. 



The upland plover, or Bartram's sandpiper, is one of 

 the best shorebirds for the table, and it is pursued eagerly 

 by sportsmen. It inhabits the plains, prairies and fields 

 and is seldom found near water. I have seen these birds 



