in South Carolina 5 



7. What degree of destruction is done by dogs roaming 

 at large during the birds' breeding season? 



8. What species of birds, if any, are increasing in 

 numbers and from what cause? 



9. Does dove-baiting or shooting doves over baited 

 fields prevail in your county? 



10. Are the game laws (1) Known? (2) Respected? (3) 

 Enforced? 



11. Can you suggest any better protection of birds as 

 against man and their natural enemies? 



One hundred and fifty-five replies containing material of 

 more or less value were received. Many bore evidence of 

 having been prepared most cheerfully and conscientiously. 

 Some respondents consulted with other persons before fill- 

 ing in the blanks. Others turned the circulars over to 

 people whom they considered more competent than them- 

 selves to give the information. Many of the replies were 

 replete with valuable data and were accompanied by let- 

 ters giving additional material. 



Not a few persons expressed deep interest in the objects 

 of the inquiry and offered further assistance. Several re- 

 plies contained annotated lists and carefully prepared esti- 

 mates of percentages. All the information received can- 

 not be included in a report of this size, but it has done its 

 part in helping to make the estimates and to draw the 

 conclusions set forth here. 



Methods of inquiry similar to that employed here, were 

 pursued in 1898, by Dr. W. T. Hornaday, of the New York 

 Zoological Society, in order to get an estimate of the 

 decrease of the wild life of the country as a whole, and in 

 1904, by Mr. E. H. Forbush, state ornithologist of Massa- 

 chusetts, for an estimate of the decrease of birds in this 

 State. 



The data collected and the conclusions drawn, which 

 were issued in the form of reports, have assisted very 

 materially in shaping the policy of game conservation in 

 the United States and Massachusetts respectively. The 

 present report is a direct result of the information and 

 inspiration received from the above mentioned reports. 



