Reports of Field Agents 403 



REPORTS OF FIELD AGENTS 



REPORT OF EDWARD HOWE FORBUSH, FIELD AGENT 

 FOR NEW ENGLAND 



It is difficult, year by year, to report on the New England territory without 

 referring to the excellent work of the Audubon societies of the New England 

 States and, in part, duplicating the reports of the secretaries of these organi- 

 zations. Your agent for New England will, however, continue the policy of 

 confining his report, as far as possible, to matters outside of their many activities. 



During the year 192 1 the Heath Hen of Martha's Vineyard apparently not 

 only failed to hold its own but decreased considerably in numbers, owing 

 largely, it is beheved, to late spring frosts which occurred at a time when many 

 of the females had deposited their eggs and before they had commenced to 

 incubate. But if the census of the birds- taken by John A. Farley in April, 1922, 

 can be considered fairly accurate, there must have been many fatalities among 

 the adults since the census of April, 192 1. As there were few northern Hawks 

 and Owls on the islands last winter, suspicion must fall on hunting cats and 

 human hunters. 



From information received during the past summer it seems probable that 

 the birds had a more successful breeding-season than in 192 1, but no definite 

 statement regarding the increase or decrease for this year can be made until 

 the shooting-season and the winter have passed. 



It seems that the Herring Gull in New England has about reached the 

 maximum of numbers within which it may be properly classed as a useful 

 species. Further increase in its numbers may result in some change of food 

 habits so that the species may become injurious. Complaints of the destruction 

 of clams, fish, and scallops in Massachusetts by this species and of raids on 

 young chickens and blueberries in Maine indicate that its numbers have about 

 reached the limit of its normal food-supply. If it continues to increase, it 

 may attack the grain in the fields, as under strict protection, it did in the 

 British Isles. 



Apparently, as the Gulls increase on Muskeget Island the Terns decrease. 

 Both Herring Gulls and Laughing Gulls are increasing there. Possibly we are 

 giving the Gulls too much protection there. The Terns on the Massachusetts 

 coast generally have held their own very well this year, in spite of the fact that 

 hundreds of young Terns died early in the season as a result of heavy rains, and 

 other hundreds starved to death when nearly ready to fly, probably because of 

 a lack of sufficient food in nearby Waters. This was particularly noticeable at 

 Chatham, Mass., where practically all the Terns concentrated on one island. 

 As the island lies close to shore, there were only the ocean to the eastward and 

 the waters of the harbor to draw from. On islands at a distance from the shore 

 from which the birds can fish in every direction, they have a much better chance 



