452 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



birds which are reported as diminishing in Massachusetts, 

 that we may see what species most need protection. While 

 it is difficult to get accurate reports regarding birds as a 

 whole, those regarding particular species are more readily 

 obtained. Such reports are the more valuable, as they indi- 

 cate just where protection is needed. 



BIRDS REPORTED AS DIMINISHING IN NUMBERS. 



Family Podicipidce. Grebes. 



This includes the birds commonly known as dippers, water 

 witches, etc. This family and the one following seem to be 

 of comparatively little economic importance so far as the 

 farmer is concerned, as the birds composing them get their 

 food almost entirely from the water. The pied-billed grebe 

 undoubtedly once bred in suitable places about the inland 

 bodies of water in this State ; it is now known to breed in 

 very few localities east of the Connecticut River. It has 

 been driven away from at least three localities in Massachu- 

 setts in the last few years. It is still fairly common in the 

 migrations on many of the ponds and rivers in the interior 

 of the State, but seems to have decreased greatly on the 

 rivers of eastern Massachusetts, where, although its flesh is 

 of little value, it is pursued and shot whenever it appears. 

 This grebe might have been able to dive quickly enough (at 

 the flash) to escape the charge of the flint-lock gun, but 

 with the modern breech loader at close range it has no 

 chance. The horned grebe also probably once bred here, 

 but is now seldom seen except in migrations or in the win- 

 ter. Along the coasts the grebes are quite well able to take 

 care of themselves, and, as they now breed mainly far to 

 the north, where they are little disturbed by man, our three 

 . species seem about as common as ever on the coast in their 

 migrations. 



Family Gavidce. Loons. 



Loons, no doubt, once bred commonly in the more retired 

 ponds over a great part of the State. Thirty years ago they 

 were not rare in the breeding season in the northern part 

 of Worcester County, where they were observed to nest at 

 different localities by Messrs. C. E. Ingalls and C. E. Bai- 



