116 UPLAND GAME BIRDS 



Originally this bird was to the eastern states what the 

 pinnated grouse was to the middle West. It inhabited New 

 Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, 

 Massachusetts, and I know not how many more states. But 

 the shotguns were too much for it. Being a game bird of 

 fine flavor, good size and open-country habits, it was sought 

 and shot, regardless of seasons. 



In 1785 New York accorded a close season from April 1 

 to October 1. New Jersey extended partial protection in 

 1820, Massachusetts in 1831, and Rhode Island in 1846. In 

 1866 New Jersey became alarmed about impending extinction, 

 and gave the vanishing Heath Hen a five-year close season. 

 In 1862 New York, in still greater alarm, gave a ten-year 

 close season, hoping to bring back the vanished flocks. Five 

 years later, in still greater alarm. New York passed a new 

 ten -year close-season law, and in 1870 Massachusetts rushed 

 to the front with a law for six years of unbroken protec- 

 tion. 



Those efforts now teach a valuable lesson, which is this: 

 In the destruction of a wild species a 'point of disappearance 

 is finally reached beyond which every species is doomed, and 

 cannot be restored. That was reached with the Heath Hen, 

 everywhere save on the island of Martha's Vineyard, Mas- 

 sachusetts, where by great efforts a colony of about 200 birds 

 has been saved, even down to 1914. 



I fear that already in several states various species of 

 game birds, such as the eastern bob-white, have been shot 

 down to a point so low that it may be impossible for any 

 length of close seasons to bring back the vanished flocks. 



