﻿^O 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  It 
  was 
  evident 
  from 
  the 
  search 
  which 
  we 
  were 
  able 
  to 
  make, 
  that 
  at 
  

   least 
  loo 
  species 
  of 
  birds 
  were 
  nesting 
  within 
  lo 
  miles 
  of 
  Mt 
  Marcy. 
  With 
  the 
  

   addition 
  of 
  those 
  species 
  which 
  were 
  seen 
  on 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  occasions 
  and 
  those 
  

   of 
  which 
  we 
  learned 
  from 
  reliable 
  sources, 
  the 
  number 
  is 
  raised 
  to 
  117, 
  

   and 
  I 
  have 
  no 
  doubt 
  that 
  this 
  represents 
  about 
  the 
  actual 
  number 
  of 
  species 
  

   nesting 
  in 
  that 
  region. 
  Of 
  the 
  100 
  species 
  which 
  we 
  found 
  nesting, 
  32 
  are 
  

   commonly 
  regarded 
  as 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  Canadian 
  fauna, 
  and 
  the 
  remainder 
  

   are 
  species 
  of 
  general 
  distribution 
  in 
  eastern 
  North 
  America, 
  or 
  of 
  the 
  

   Alleghanian 
  fauna. 
  The 
  typical 
  Alleghanian 
  species 
  enter 
  the 
  valleys 
  and 
  

   clearings 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  St 
  Huberts, 
  Elk 
  lake, 
  and 
  Boreas 
  camp. 
  No 
  Carolinian 
  

   species 
  was 
  found 
  within 
  10 
  miles 
  of 
  Marcy, 
  and 
  no 
  Hudsonian 
  species 
  

   unless 
  the 
  Bicknell 
  thrush, 
  Ruby-crowned 
  kinglet 
  and 
  Hudsonian 
  chickadee 
  

   be 
  regarded 
  as 
  belonging 
  to 
  that 
  fauna. 
  

  

  INCREASE 
  AND 
  DECREASE 
  OF 
  SPECIES 
  

   It 
  is 
  the 
  general 
  testimony 
  of 
  authors 
  that 
  there 
  has 
  been 
  a 
  marked 
  

   diminution 
  in 
  the 
  bird 
  life 
  of 
  our 
  State 
  during 
  the 
  past 
  century, 
  and 
  there 
  

   can 
  be 
  no 
  doubt 
  that 
  this 
  is 
  true 
  of 
  the 
  waterfowl, 
  shore 
  birds, 
  and, 
  in 
  

   general, 
  of 
  the 
  larger 
  species. 
  At 
  the 
  same 
  time, 
  since 
  our 
  wild 
  birds 
  are 
  

   the 
  property 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  and 
  form 
  a 
  valuable 
  public 
  asset, 
  it 
  seems 
  advis- 
  

   able 
  to 
  consider 
  briefl}' 
  the 
  facts 
  regarding 
  their 
  variation 
  in 
  abundance, 
  

   and 
  the 
  causes 
  which 
  affect 
  bird 
  life 
  in 
  general. 
  

  

  AVhcn 
  the 
  State 
  was 
  first 
  settled, 
  waterfowl 
  fairly 
  swarmed 
  on 
  our 
  bays, 
  

   rivers 
  and 
  lakes, 
  and 
  shore 
  birds 
  flocked 
  by 
  thousands 
  every 
  spring 
  and 
  fall 
  

   along 
  Long 
  Island 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  inland 
  lakes. 
  Wild 
  turkeys, 
  Ruffed 
  grouse, 
  

   and 
  Bobwhites 
  were 
  well 
  distributed, 
  although 
  the 
  turkey 
  and 
  "quail" 
  

   were 
  never 
  common 
  in 
  the 
  northern 
  districts. 
  The 
  larger 
  hawks 
  and 
  

   owls 
  were 
  abundant 
  throughout 
  the 
  State, 
  while 
  herons 
  and 
  other 
  marsh 
  

   birds 
  occupied 
  the 
  swampy 
  lakes 
  and 
  rivers. 
  It 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  obtain 
  reliable 
  

   information 
  in 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  abundance 
  of 
  small 
  birds, 
  like 
  the 
  warblers, 
  

   fl\'catchers, 
  sparrows 
  and 
  thrushes, 
  but 
  the 
  writer 
  believes 
  they 
  were 
  

   less 
  abundant 
  during 
  colonial 
  times 
  than 
  they 
  are 
  at 
  present. 
  This 
  m.ay 
  

  

  