AMERICAN WOODCOCK 127 
of the veteran woodcock gunner,—the few 
stragglers picked up after the flights have gone 
by, which are mostly old males and extremely 
small. How they can twist and fly! If the 
average Woodcock had their ability the future 
supply of ‘‘Long-bills’? would be assured. 
My latest kill on Woodcock was on November 
25th; but the fault is mine, for I failed to ad- 
vance this record five days by making a beau- 
tiful two-cartridge miss on November 30th of 
last season and for two weeks later there was an 
occasional bird to be found, although there had 
been a four-inch snowfall in the meantime. I 
have known of their staying near an open 
spring hole even later than this. (Maine rec- 
ords.) 
One word here on game protection: May the 
day soon come when all spring shooting shall 
be stopped: When the sale of game in the 
markets shall be prohibited: When the law 
shall everywhere regulate to a reasonable fig- 
ure the number of birds which a man may take 
in a day’s hunt: These laws to apply every- 
where that game is hunted. These things must 
come soon or the question of game protection 
will be solved for good and all—and not to your 
