BIRDS HUNTED FOR FOOD OR SPORT. 265 



be abundant, but that now very few are to be seen. Most of 

 my Massachusetts correspondents never see the bird now. It 

 no longer appears in the interior at any point, so far as I can 

 learn, and is rare or wanting on most of our coast. Three 

 observers record a slight increase at certain points on Cape 

 Cod during the past few years. One notes that they have 

 increased "very much" at Chatham, and one tells of an in- 

 crease on Martha's Vineyard. Forty say they are decreasing. 



The causes of decrease as given by most correspondents are 

 overshooting and spring shooting. One attributes a local 

 decrease to a "lack of feed." Mr. William B. Long of Bos- 

 ton states that these birds are so tame when they arrive on 

 the feeding grounds that any one can kill almost a whole 

 flock. The following brief extracts tell the story: "Used to 

 be shot here; scattering; have not seen or shot one for two 

 years" (E. W. Eaton, Newburyport) . "Decreased eighty per 

 cent, in twenty-eight years; we took quite a few this autumn 

 (1908)" (Thomas C. Wilson, Ipswich). "Rather a common 

 bird on Cape Cod twenty -five years ago; now comparatively 

 rare, though there is an occasional good flock; decreased 

 seventy -five per cent, in twenty-five years" (Dr. L. C. Jones, 

 Maiden). "A very few only" (G. W. Holbrook, Wellfleet). 

 "Decreased seventy -five per cent, in eighteen years" (N. A. 

 Eldridge, Chatham). "Decreased ninety-five per cent, in 

 thirty-four years; comparatively a rare bird" (Alfred S. Swan, 

 North Eastham). "None here" (Willard M. Small, North 

 Truro). "Used to be plenty; very few now" (William H. 

 Allen, Dartmouth). "Not more than a dozen killed in last 

 three years" (Richard J. Sharrock, Westport). The above 

 are mainly experienced gunners who live near the shooting 

 grounds. 



Some few sportsmen seem to find occasional flocks. The 

 following notes tell the other side of the story: Dr. Albert H. 

 Tuttle says he shot about thirty in one day in 1903. "Increas- 

 ing twenty -five per cent. ; took fourteen in one day on Martha's 

 Vineyard (1908)" (Lewis W. Hill). "Holding its own; in 

 September, 1907, observed several large flocks at Chatham 

 and shot eighteen in six days" (C. O. Zerrahn, Milton). 



