ARE THE BIRDS DECREASING 3 
country is settled, or when the population increases in 
an old country. The gallinaceous game birds, like 
grouse, partridge, and quail, should not decrease in a 
farming district, unless they are hunted during the 
closed season, or hunted too much during the open sea- 
son.1 It is quite likely that want of water may also 
cause a scarcity of these birds. 
Admitting that a general decrease in game birds was 
to be expected under the game laws as they have been 
enacted and enforced in these states, it is a deplorable 
fact that the song birds have also greatly decreased. 
For Minnesota I make the following estimate based 
on my own observations and on that of others: Cat- 
birds, brown thrushes, meadow larks, kingbirds, rose- 
breasted grosbeaks, swallows, swifts, red-headed wood- - 
peckers, blue jays, and quails have increased. This 
increase is particularly noticeable in the case of the last 
six. In the spring of 1898, I often heard two rose- 
breasted grosbeaks sing near the corner of Seventh 
Street and Maria Avenue, St. Paul, where an electric car- 
passes at least every three minutes. Pinnated grouse, 
or prairie-chickens, and partridges have decreased. 
Ducks in general have decreased on account of the 
drying up and draining of sloughs and swamps, and on 
account of excessive shooting, especially on account of 
shooting in the spring. Wood ducks, red-heads, mer- 
gansers, and canvas-back have decreased 50 per cent, all 
on account of much hunting. Green-winged teal, mal- 
1 The closed season is the time during which hunting or fishing is 
prohibited by law. In the open season fishing and hunting are legal. 
