THE SHOREBIRDS OR WADERS 155 



golden plover and many other shorebirds were ' very 

 abundant. I shot several dozen of these birds one after- 

 noon beside a small lake, but when I returned to the army 

 post, where I was stopping, I found it impossible to give 

 them away. Larger game birds, including prairie grouse 

 and wild ducks, were very plentiful, and no one could be 

 found willing to pluck and cook the waders. For this 

 reason I ceased shooting them. 



The same condition existed in the Eastern States when 

 the heath hens, wild turkeys and canvas backs brought 

 only a few cents in the markets. When we make the most 

 desirable game birds abundant and cheap the shorebirds 

 will be comparatively safe from harm in many places, 

 and they will be in no danger of extirpation. 



