XX1l Ix rroptcrory 
From the time of the early settlements, our State has 
always teemed with bird life; but the march of civiliza- 
tion, together with the almost total destruction of many 
of the species for the millinery trade, the killing and ship- 
ment of game birds from the State, and other minor 
causes have sadly depleted our enormous bird resources ; 
for such they were. 
Like the ovster industry, the northern markets have 
profited principally by the shipment of game out of this 
State, and one can readily see that if the season’s record 
of two hundred and twenty-five thousand ducks, geese, and 
swan are killed in this State for many seasons, the 
feathered tribe will rapidly decrease, not only from our 
own State, but the whole country as well. Many of the 
once plentiful breeding species are now extremely scarce, 
such as the Upland Plover, Ovstereatcher, Willet, Snowy 
Heron, Egret, Least, Gull-billed, Cabots, Caspian, and 
Royal Terns. The Roseate Tern as a breeding bird is 
gone from our coast, while such birds as the Passenger 
Pigeon, Eskimo Curlew, Carolina Paraquet, and 
numerous other migratory birds are things of the past with 
us. It is only of late years that, from the protection 
afforded them in other states, the Wood Duck has 
become numerous with us once more. Such a bird as this, 
bringing as it does $30.00 a pair alive for breeding pur- 
poses, should be taken from the game list entirely, as well 
as the Whistling Swan. The negro is never too lazy to 
hunt, respecting neither bird, premises, nor law, while his 
ill-fed, half-starved dogs (the poorer the negro the more 
dogs he owns) roam the fields and woods at all times, dis- 
turbing and breaking up sitting birds and killing the 
young of both mammals and birds. The forest fires which 
sweep unchecked each season over a great area of Virginia, 
destroy many birds and eggs, while our game laws are not 
