WOODCOCK 19 



naturalist as Dr. A. K. Fisher published in one of the 

 Year Books of the Department of Agriculture an ac- 

 count of Two Vanishing Birds, one of which was 

 the woodcock. Until within a few years summer shoot- 

 ing of woodcock has been permitted in a number of 

 States, a practice which resulted in the practical de- 

 struction of almost all the birds breeding and reared 

 in certain territories. So much shooting at a time 

 when the birds were but recently from the nest and 

 many of them able to fly only short distances,, was 

 extremely destructive. The birds were so gentle and 

 at that season fly so easily that summer shooting was 

 really a sport for children rather than for men. 



If kept up long enough, this would have resulted in 

 the extermination of the bird over considerable areas, 

 or in such a reduction in its numbers that some natural 

 change, which under ordinary circumstances might 

 be wholly harmless, might almost wipe the bird out 

 of existence. For many years far-seeing persons have 

 recognized this danger and have been laboring faith- 

 fully to have the practice of summer shooting stopped. 

 It is only within a comparatively short time that their 

 efforts have been successful. 



Besides this danger, to which the woodcock were 

 formerly exposed over much of the country, was an- 

 other which destroyed them by wholesale, although 

 such destruction came only at very long intervals. 

 This was the occurrence of periods of severe cold in 

 their southern wintering grounds. Though such cold 

 periods do not come often, yet orange growers in 



