212 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING 



later than Nuttall, speaks of the birds as already ex- 

 tinct in that State. 



Giraud, writing about 1840, says that even then the 

 bird was practically extinct on Long Island, but that it 

 had been abundant thirty years before. 



Audubon quotes an interesting letter from a Mr. 

 David Eckley, of Boston, who was in the habit of 

 shooting prairie hens on Martha's Vineyard. This 

 letter declares that "Nashawenna is the only other 

 island of the group on which they are found," and 

 further along adds: "It would be difficult to assign 

 a reason why they are found upon the islands above 

 named, and not upon others, particularly Nashann, 

 which, being large, well wooded, and abounding in 

 feed, seems quite as favorable to the peculiar habits 

 of the birds." 



Even at that 'time, according to this letter, the heath 

 hens on Martha's Vineyard were scarce, for Mr. Eck- 

 ley says that the result of a few weeks' residence of 

 a party of three is ten brace of birds. 



The same gentleman says : "We frequently meet 

 with the remains of such as have been destroyed in vari- 

 ous ways, but more particularly by the domestic cat, 

 which prowls the woods in a wild state, and which 

 often receives a very unwelcome salute for the mis- 

 chief it does. Owls, hawks and skunks also do their 

 part toward the destruction of these valuable but de- 

 fenceless birds. In these ways they are thinned off mucn 

 more effectually than by the sportsman's gun. They fre- 

 quent no particular soil, and, like all other hunting, 



