66 The Water-fowl Family 



shooting, that sportsmen are now universally con- 

 vinced of the absolute necessity of protecting our 

 water-fowl at this season. In the United States, 

 the Western states along the northern border 

 are all breeding-grounds for water-fowl, and it 

 is here protection is most essential. In North 

 Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin legislation 

 prohibiting spring shooting has been attended 

 with remarkable results in the comparatively short 

 period of its existence, and, in many instances, 

 market gunners admit the benefit. In the upper 

 peninsula of Michigan the open season closes 

 January 15 ; in Minnesota, January i ; in Wiscon- 

 sin and North Dakota, January i ; in Idaho, 

 March i; in Ontario, December 15; Newfound- 

 land, January 1 2 ; California, North Carolina, 

 British Columbia, and Nova Scotia have a close 

 season in March. In most of the other states 

 the close season begins later. In Ontario, a few 

 years since, the marshes were almost devoid of 

 breeding ducks. At the present time thousands 

 of black duck, mallard, and teal are seen nesting. 

 This same statement can be easily true elsewhere. 

 Recently duck-shooting in Connecticut has been 

 prohibited after April i. The law has been in 

 force for one year. Last spring, in many of the 

 harbors of Long Island Sound, there were more 

 ducks than had been seen in years, a fact specially 

 true of the broadbill. There is a strong objection 



