BIRDS HUNTED FOR FOOD OR SPORT. 257 



ents never see the bird now, and practically all the older 

 gunners state that the bird is "nearing extinction," "almost 

 gone" or "a bird of the past." Apparently the species has 

 disappeared from the inland lakes and ponds, where it for- 

 merly was seen occasionally, and is not now common on the 

 Massachusetts coast, except in a few favored localities. Mr. 

 E. W. Eaton of Newburyport says he believes that it has 

 decreased ninety per cent, in thirty years; twenty years ago 

 the first of the season he could see sometimes four to eight 

 flocks a day, with from five to twenty-five in a flock; he has 

 not seen a flock in 1908 or 1909; shot a single bird in 1907. 

 Mr. William P. Wharton of Groton has seen very few in sev- 

 eral years. His uncle tells of its abundance at Ipswich thirty 

 years ago. Mr. Neil Casey of Melrose says, "I think this 

 bird has decreased faster than any other shore bird." Notes of 

 others in brief follow: "Decreasing eighty to ninety per cent." 

 (Ralph C. Ewell, Marshfield). "Only one seen occasionally" 

 (Francis B. Osborn, Hingham). "Have seen a few; they 

 decrease rapidly" (H. M. Douglas, Plymouth). "Decreased 

 ninety per cent, in last ten years" (H. W. Bartlett, Plymouth). 

 "Twenty-five years ago one hundred or more of these birds 

 was not considered remarkable on Cape Cod; I heard of one 

 bag this summer (1908) of eighteen or twenty, which was 

 considered exceptional" (Dr. L. C. Jones, Maiden). "A steady 

 and marked decrease the past fifteen years" (George L. Haines, 

 Sandwich). Mr. Carl Zerrahn of Milton says, "my records at 

 Chatham show a small but steady decrease each year." 



My correspondents from Maine, New Hampshire, Ver- 

 mont, Rhode Island and Connecticut find similar conditions. 

 I get no reports of this bird as common except from Chatham, 

 Cohasset and Yarmouthport. Mr. Alfred Swan says that he 

 shot "quite a lot" at Chatham in 1908. The shooting record 

 at Chatham Beach Hotel shows that there were but three 

 days, while it was kept (from 1897 to 1904, inclusive), when 

 the number of Dowitchers shot by all hands neared a score. 

 July 15, 1897, nineteen were killed; August 8, 1901, twenty 

 were killed; and on August 9 twenty-six were taken, with 

 thirteen men shooting. In 1897 one hundred and seven were 



