8 



wooded lands in some other parts of the State. This may ac- 

 count, in a measure, for their success. 



The principal difficulty in finding lessees for shooting rights 

 lies in the scarcity of the game, but this drawback can be reme- 

 died. Wherever the game is protected against excessive shoot- 

 ing, and where such natural enemies of the game as lynxes, 

 cats, foxes, raccoons, minks, weasels, rats, crows and bird hawks 

 are held in check by the gamekeeper, the game soon becomes 

 abundant. In some cases it increases so fast that considerable 

 shooting becomes necessary to prevent excessive increase and 

 the consequent spread of infectious diseases, which are very 

 fatal on an overcrowded game preserve. In this latitude the 

 bob-white is sometimes nearly exterminated by severe winters ; 

 but much of this excessive mortality might be avoided by giving 

 the birds a little care, protection and food in winter. The wood- 

 cock needs only suitable cover and protection. The ruffed 

 grouse or partridge is hardy, and may be made numerous on 

 any preserve which contains good cover and an abundant supply 

 of food. The wooded hillsides of Massachusetts, interspersed 

 with swampy hollows, are the natural paradise for this king of 

 game birds; and there is much rocky and swampy land that is 

 of little value for anything but the production of timber and 

 game. The pinnated grouse or heath hen ought to thrive under 

 protection on much of the sparsely wooded land in southeastern 

 Massachusetts. The increase in the numbers of these birds on 

 Martha's Vineyard since they have been made the wards of the 

 Massachusetts Commissioners on Fisheries and Game gives 

 hope that they may recover their lost ground. Snipe and cer- 

 tain shore birds will gather on any suitable marshes where they 

 are not continually molested, while ducks may be attracted to 

 ponds, streams or fens by a few call or decoy ducks, or by wild 

 rice or a supply of grain for food. 



The principal objection urged by the opponents of the system 

 of leasing shooting rights and the establishment of game pre- 

 serves is that the policy is un-American, and that it gives 

 over the shooting privileges into the hands of the wealthy few, 

 thus depriving the many of the right to take game that belong-s 

 to the whole people. It may be admitted that the system is un- 



