5 14 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING 



snares and traps in vast numbers, and as early as 1855 

 and '56 a writer said : "The havoc and slaughter, not 

 only by the mercenary and cruel, but by the thoughtless 

 and improvident, have consequently been very great, 

 both of birds and animals, thousands of buffaloes, deer 

 and hares, hundreds of wolves, panthers and bears, as 

 well as myriads of partridges and hecatombs of grouse, 

 have been slain and trapped. The markets of all our 

 principal cities have been most bountifully supplied with 

 every description of game in fact, filled to repletion 

 with partridges and grouse ; not, however, as many sup- 

 pose, with birds alone coming from the far, far West, 

 but by incredible numbers of half-starved victims snared 

 in our own and the neighboring States or mercilessly 

 shot down, whole coveys at a 'blow/ as they sit huddled 

 together on the treacherous snow, stupefied and be- 

 numbed with the chilling blasts of the north." 



Some of the sportsmen of that day were Englishmen, 

 and of these Wm. Henry Herbert Frank Forester 

 was one of the most famous. Herbert wrote in charm- 

 ing style, and professed high ideals of sport. His writ- 

 ings were read by all who were fond of shooting and 

 fishing, and exercised a good influence. Birds at that 

 time were so extremely abundant from the point of 

 view of to-day that no one realized the importance of 

 moderation in killing, and the bags made were very 

 large. Herbert inculcated good views of sport, and his 

 teachings were far in advance of the practice of his day. 

 Nevertheless, it was then a point of pride, as indeed it 

 still was at a very recent day, to do a little better that 



