THE FOWLS OF THE FARM 



17 



Fig. 56. The sora rail {Porzana 

 Carolina.) 



grouse, are sounds unmatched in nature and inimitable; 

 so also are the antics that accompany their utterance. 



The day of abundance of wild 

 fowl in this country is forever 

 past. The most that may be 

 hoped for by the bird-lover is 

 that a few may be saved here 

 and there, wherever fit homes 

 for them remain. The pigeon is 

 gone; the turkey is a captive; 

 but let us hope that a few wild 

 _ „ places will be preserved where 



2 xvC-^'-'^'iJi^^^il - those who come after us may 



hear the call of the bob-white 

 and the grouse in our vales: 

 let us hope they may be uplifted 

 with the sight of some of our 

 fine wild waterfowl, traversing the equinoctial skies. 



Our ancestors brought with them to America fowls that 

 had been domesticated in earlier times and in far distant 

 lands: chickens, ducks, geese, pigeons, guineafowl, pea- 

 fowl, etc. These, doubtless, came into domestication largely 

 by way of the barnyard. Are they not called barnyard 

 fowl, and so distinguished from wild fowl? They may have 

 lingered about the stalls of the cattle and horses in primeval 

 times to find the grain wasted by these animals, and to feed 

 upon it. It is a noteworthy fact that of all birds, the ones most 

 useful to us are those that are best equipped by nature for 

 working-over the barnyard litter and securing the grain left 

 in it ; the gallinaceous birds by scratching with their feet ; the 

 waterfowl by dabbling with their beaks. They consimaed 

 what would otherwise have been wasted, and turned it into a 

 reserve meat supply; so they were encouraged to remain. 

 With growing familiarity they made their nests in the hay- 



