Destruction by Man 71 



in themselves. In the nesting season or out of it, 

 it makes no difference to them. In gangs, large 

 and small, armed with cheap guns and followed 

 by mongrer"bird" dogs, they rake the country, 

 killing everything that flies or runs. Worst of 

 all, perhaps, they burn over large tracts of land, 

 destroying the natural cover for the birds, mak- 

 ing it easy to pot the few which might otherwise 

 have found shelter at the time, and preventing 

 the area from being used as a breeding ground or 

 as a refuge for years to come. Nevertheless, 

 thanks to improved laws, to campaigns of edu- 

 cation, and to a firmer stand taken by the culti- 

 vated people of the South, matters are much 

 better than they were a few years ago, and the 

 outlook for the future is hopeful. 



Lumber camps and mining camps are often 

 responsible for the local extermination of certain 

 birds. When, as often happens, such camps are 

 at a considerable distance from a large town, it is 

 difficult and expensive to supply the men with 

 fresh beef, mutton, or pork, and if there are game 

 birds or waterfowl in the vicinity, they are sure 

 to suffer. Such birds are killed in large numbers 

 not only to supply immediate needs but for fu- 

 ture use, so that when an opportunity presents 

 itself, the men kill all they can get. 



A great deal of damage has been done, and is 



