298 * Recent Literature. [April 



report is therefore an advance over his and is undoubtedly the best work on 

 game birds that has yet appeared in America. 



The preliminary chapters treat of the decrease of game, natural enemies 

 of game, gun clubs, introduction of non-native game, game propagation 

 and legislation. From these we learn that the serious decrease in game 

 birds, especially the waterfowl, in California, was first noticed about 1880, 

 since which time it has increased at an alarming rate. In the Fresno 

 region in 1912 flocks of geese were still to be seen in certain sections but ten 

 to twenty years earlier the whole San Joaquin Valley literally swarmed with 

 wild geese during midwinter. " From the windows of a moving train 

 myriads of geese were to be observed, reaching as far as the eye could see 

 on either side of the railroad from Fresno to Stockton — certainly a thous- 

 and fold more geese than can be seen today along the same route." The 

 number of ducks sold in the markets of San Francisco according to careful 

 estimates has decreased from 350,000 in 1911-12 to 125,000 in 1915-16. 

 These are but a couple of illustrations from the many facts collected by 

 the authors of this work. Their conclusions are set forth as follows: " The 

 causes of this decrease are many and diverse but all are due in last analysis 

 to the settlement of the state by the white man. Some of these factors, 

 such as excessive hunting and sale of game, are subject to control; but 

 others such as reclamation of land, and overhead wires are inevitable. . . . 

 The game supply of the future must rely upon correct inductions based 

 upon careful study of the entire problem, and final adoption of those 

 means which it is found feasible to employ." 



What will be the eventual outcome of the game situation it is hard to fore- 

 tell. Certainly in our Eastern States the outlook is not encouraging. With 

 the constant decrease in wild land and the issuing of innumerable hunters' 

 licenses, 295,000 in Pennsylvania last year, the native-bred game will 

 surely disappear — indeed even now Quail have to be imported and many 

 states restocked. When the same conditions prevail in the states from 

 which Quail are now obtainable the species will be practically extinct. 

 And so with the game that comes to us from breeding grounds far to the 

 north. When these grounds are all reclaimed the supply will end and in 

 future we shall be dependent upon game propagated especially for libera- 

 tion on the shooting grounds, as is the case in England. 



It is well worth while to have this matter placed before us in all its 

 seriousness as has been done in the present volume, so that the public 

 may realize with what sort of a problem they have to deal and see the 

 necessity of securing expert advice. 



In speaking of gim clubs the authors give due credit to the importance 

 of the preserves which they establish and the care that is taken to limit 

 shooting days and stop illegal gunning on the grounds. At the same time 

 they point out that the preserves prove so attractive to the birds that prac- 

 tically all individuals normally scattered over large areas are congregated 

 there, where they are exposed to regular slaughter by the most skilful shots 

 and the ultimate destruction is probably hastened. As to the introduc- 



