No. 4.] DECREASE OF BIRDS. 471 



ter County thirtj^-one report a decrease ; west from Worces- 

 ter County six note an increase and four a decrease. The 

 reports seem to indicate that hawlvs, especially the larger 

 species, while on the whole diminishing in eastern Massa- 

 chusetts, are at least holding their own generally in the 

 western counties, except perhaps in Berkshire, where the 

 correspondence indicates a falling off in some sections. 

 The reports are not detailed enough to enable many com- 

 parisons to be made as to the relative scarcit}^ of the spe- 

 cies, but the red-tailed hawk seems to have fallen off as 

 much as any. On the other hand, the red-shouldered hawk, 

 while decreasing locally, seems to be holding its own in 

 many localities, and even occupying more territory than 

 formerly. This seems to indicate that it is, in a measure, 

 taking the place of the redtail in the breeding season in 

 the eastern part of the State, where the former is growing 

 rare. The marsh hawk seems to hold its ground fairly 

 well in south-eastern Massachusetts and also in some other 

 parts of the State. 



Fam'dij Corvid<v. — Grows and Jayx. 



Crows are reported to be diminishing b}^ <>'dy four ob- 

 servers and increasing by eighteen. Eleven of the latter 

 come from west of Worcester County, which may indicate 

 that crows are increasing somewhat in the western counties, 

 as those making reports from that region are nmch fewer 

 tlian those from the eastern part of the State. The blue ja}', 

 while decreasing locally, seems generally to hold its own. 



Most of the birds, other than those already reported on, 

 are such as are generally included by our law-makers under 

 the head of 



SoxG AND Insectivorous Birds. 



After careful study of the detailed reports received on 

 many species, it is impossible to escape the belief that cer- 

 tain of the smaller birds have decreased in, or disapi)earcd 

 from, some densely populated regions. It is quite evident 

 that, in some cases, a recent diminution in nunil)ers was 

 caused by the unfavorabh; weather conditions of li)04, and 

 that, had it not been for this cause, no decrease would have 



