16 



BULLETIN 1165, V. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



A greater decrease in the number of birds per acre is noted in 1917 

 than in 1918; reference to the table shows, however, that the decrease 

 in 1917 is accounted for by the difference in the character of the land 

 surveyed, while that of 1918 is a part of a general decrease through- 

 out the eastern United States. One plot oi 92 acres, reported upon 

 all three years, shows in 1918 fewer individuals of certain species 

 that figure in the decreases elsewhere (see p. 28). 



Table 4. — Comparison of results of bird censuses taken at Geneva, N. Y., with all those 

 from the State of New York. 









Geneva, N. 



Y. 







' 



1916 



1917 



1918 



Average. 



Areas covered by censuses 



Acres. 



155 



75 



45 



35 



68 



Pairs. 



205 



221 



132 

 142 

 27 

 4 

 15 

 19 

 10 



Per cent. 



Acres. 

 1,307 



943 



145 



219 



895 

 Pairs. 

 1,037 

 1,115 



79 

 85 



7 



1- 

 15 



4 



5 



Per cent. 



Acres. 



1,712 



1,373 



150 



189 

 1 193 

 Pairs. 

 1,143 

 1,270 



66 

 75 



8 



.;- 



3 



7 



Per cent. 



Per cent. 



In fields 



48 

 29 

 23 

 44 



72 

 11 



17 

 68 



80 



9 



11 



70 



67 



In orchards 



16 



In woods 



17 



Plowed land 



61 



Nesting birds counted: 



Native species 





All species 











Bird population per 100 acres and per- 

 centage of total: 

 Native birds 











All species , 











Robin 



19 

 3 

 11 

 13 



7 



8 

 1- 



6 



11 



1- 

 23 



4 



9 



13 



Catbird 



2— 



Sone; sparrow 



17 



Chipping sparrow 



7 



English sBarrow 



7 









New York State. 





1916 



1917 



1918 



Average. 



Areas covered by censuses 



Acres. 

 851 



560 



91 



200 



208 



Pairs. 



1,344 



1,435 



158 



167 



23 



7 



16 

 11 

 8 



Per cent. 



Acres. 



1,793 



1,277 



186 



330 



1,002 



Pairs. 



1,914 



2,063 



107 

 115 

 12 

 3 

 16 

 6 

 7 



Per cent. 



Acres. 



1,860 



1,507 



150 



203 



1,198 



Pairs. 



1,444 



1,585 



77 

 85 

 10 

 2 

 17 

 4 

 7 



Per cent. 



Per cent. 



In fields 



66 

 11 

 24 

 24 



71 

 10 

 18 

 56 



84 



8 



11 



64 



74 



In orchard 



10 





18 



Plowed land 



48 



Nesting birds counted: 





All species 











Bird population per 100 acres and per- 

 centage of total: 





















Robin 



14 

 4 

 10 



7 

 5 



10 

 3 



14 

 5 

 6 



12 



2 



20 



5 

 8 



12 



Catbird 



3 





15 



Chipping sparrow 



6 



English sparrow 



6 







Kef erring again to the 1910 census, we find that in the State of 

 New York 19^ per cent of the land in farms was woodland and 64^ 

 per cent was improved, of which slightly under 3 per cent of the 

 total was orchard. The 16 per cent of orchard in the land surveyed 

 about Geneva is thus considerably in excess of the normal for the 

 State; but this is partially balanced by the low amount of woodland, 

 here more than 2 per cent below the normal. Plots of woodland 

 containing from 12 to 95 acres were counted but were not so rich 

 in bird life as woodlots usually are, the average for the three years 

 being only 87 pairs to the 100 acres, less than half the average found 



