No. 4.] DECREASE OF BIRDS. 447 



certain radius from each city, tli(3 conditions of bird-life still 

 remain much the same (for most of the smaller species) as 

 thej were in much of the city itself forty years ago. This 

 may be illustrated by the experience of Dr. L. F. Wood- 

 ward of AVorcester. He says : "I am confining my obser- 

 vations of bird-life to two localities : first, my home in the 

 centre of the city of Worcester ; second, the grounds and 

 adjacent country about the Quinsigamond Boat Club at 

 Lake Quinsigamond. First, the city. Thirty years ago, 

 robins, catbirds, tree swallows, chipping sparrows, vireos 

 and summer warblers built in our garden ; now, nothing 

 builds about the site of the house but the robins and chip- 

 ping sparrows. For three years no young robins have been 

 raised in our yard. The sparrows either destroy the nests, 

 or the cats get the birds. The chimney swifts, which for- 

 merly were fairly abundant about the site, are very much 

 diminished, also the nighthawk. Second, at the Quinsiga- 

 mond boat club grounds the English sparrows were abso- 

 lutely exterminated tliree years ago, and are not a factor in 

 bird-life in that particular region. The birds as a Avhole 

 have become rather more numerous and much tamer than 

 formerly. The white-breasted swallows, having abundant 

 house accommodation, have increased, but this year have 

 rather decreased. The chimney swifts, once quite numer- 

 ous, were reduced this year to three individuals. Locally, 

 the thrasher, veery and chewink have increased, as has also 

 the field sparrow. The whip-poor-will, common up to three 

 years ago, has })ractically di.sa[)peared ; and the king-bird, 

 of which we have always had several pairs, has not appeared 

 on our grounds this year. The grackles have niarkedh^ in- 

 creased about the lake, while the red-wings have diminisiied. 

 The purple martin disappeared from the city of AYorcester, 

 so far as I know, a year ago. I have talked with several 

 irood observers, none of Avhom has seen a siiiijle individual 

 of this species this year. The mourning dove probably 

 nested at the lake this year, as I have seen individuals occa- 

 sionally during the spring and summer. This is the first 

 time I have seen this bird for nearly twenty years. The 

 spotted sandpiper has diminished. All birds have been pro- 



