INTRODUCTION 5 



loads of small game have been going out of the woods 

 with astonishing frequency. The sportsmen through- 

 out the country should ponder on the important facts 

 which have come to light in connection with the above 

 seizures. Let them consider that each large city of 

 the country has many of these cold-storage ware- 

 houses, in which there may be illegal game in numbers 

 almost as large as was found by the above arresting 

 officials ; and besides these large warehouses, there are 

 many others in smaller places of less capacity." 



Mr. Hornaday, who has made a careful study of the 

 decrease of bird-life and has gathered many facts to 

 support his statements, estimates that thirty-three 

 States and Territories, comprising three-fifths of the 

 total area of the United States, show a decrease in 

 the number of birds of 46 per cent, during fifteen 

 years. The decrease in game birds is fully 75 per cent. 



The Agricultural Department, in a recent bulletin, 

 says that the woodcock and the wood-duck are in dan- 

 ger of extermination. The fact that in the great seiz- 

 ure of game above mentioned but ninety-six woodcock 

 were taken is significant. 



Professor Dury says: " The game birds of Ohio and 

 the Central States are being rapidly reduced in num- 

 bers, and some species to the very verge of extinc- 

 tion." The ornithologist Elliot, in his recent popular 

 work on the wild-fowl, says : " While engaged upon 

 this book I felt that I was writing the history of a 

 rapidly vanishing race." 



Forester referred to the fact that the sportsman often 

 slipped out the back way, when going afield, since there 

 was a prejudice among his neighbors against all sport, 



