BIRDS HUNTED FOR FOOD OR SPORT. 237 



provinces had a good breeding season, and they must have had 

 a plentiful supply of food, for the autumn weather was mild 

 and they mostly remained in their northern homes until 

 nearly the first of November. Flight birds w^ere rare in Mas- 

 sachusetts up to that time and the bags were small. The fall 

 had been warm and dry; but on October 29 and 30 New 

 England and the provinces experienced a severe northeast 

 storm along the seaboard, followed by a cold northwest wind, 

 which probably froze up the northern feeding grounds, if the 

 storm had not already buried them in snow. Either or both 

 of these conditions drove the Woodcock into southern New 

 England. My correspondence shows that this flight landed in 

 every county in Massachusetts, except Dukes and Nantucket, 

 As usual, comparatively few were seen in Barnstable County. 

 Connecticut covers harbored many "Woodcock from about 

 November 12 to November 20. There were many in Rhode 

 Island, and the flight w^as noted as far south as Delaware. 



My correspondence regarding the present status of the 

 "Woodcock in ^lassachusetts is interesting. Thirty-five Mas- 

 sachusetts correspondents report "Woodcock, which breed here, 

 as increasing, and one hundred and fifty note a decrease. 

 Those who note an increase have observed it in recent years. 

 These reports of increase are scattered over every county in 

 the State excepting Nantucket, Dukes and Barnstable. The 

 greatest number reporting an increase in one county is five, 

 from Plymouth. The reports of decrease come from every 

 county in the State, except Nantucket, where ^Yoodcock 

 rarely are found. They are distributed as follows: Dukes, 

 one; Barnstable, eight; Bristol, thirteen; Plymouth, twenty- 

 one; Norfolk, eight; Essex, twenty; Middlesex, twenty- 

 four; "Worcester, sixteen; Hampden, nine; Hampshire, six; 

 Franklin, fourteen; Berkshire, four. Seven, including Boston 

 residents, who hunt in the eastern counties, reported a decrease 

 for eastern Massachusetts generally. From these reports it 

 is safe to conclude that breeding "Woodcock have decreased 

 largely in the State, except in some favored localities, where 

 formerly they were decimated, but under improved laws are 

 now increasing. 



