Ducks, GEESE, AND SWANS. 241 
the few inhabitants; and considering that they cultivated their small 
maize-fields, caught fish, hunted stags, beavers, bears, wild cattle, and 
other animals whose flesh was delicious to them, it will soon appear 
how little they disturbed the birds. But since the arrival of great 
crowds of Europeans things are greatly changed : the country is well 
peopled and the woods are cut down; the people increasing in this 
country, they have by hunting and shooting in part extirpated the 
birds, in part scared them away; in spring the people still take both 
eggs, mothers, and young indifferently, because no regulations are 
made to the contrary. And if any had been made, the spirit of free- 
dom which prevails in the country would not suffer them to be 
obeyed. But though eatable birds have been diminished greatly, yet 
there are others which have rather increased than decreased in num- 
ber since the arrival of the Europeans.” 
The practical extermination of wild fowl, especially 
on inland waters, which long ago was supposed would 
soon be accomplished, has not yet taken place, and 
even on rivers where there is much steamboat travel 
and endless loafing in pleasant weather, and no laws 
on the subject of fowl-shooting, the ducks and even 
geese are more abundant to-day than when Kalm 
wrote one hundred and forty-five years ago. This, 
however, has no real bearing upon the general state- 
ment as made, that our wild fowl are decreasing in 
numbers, extraordinarily abundant as they are in 
some localities. Again, they are driven more and 
more from their old feeding-grounds and congregate 
in waters so wide and open that approach is ex- 
tremely difficult. The question of primary impor- 
tance is, Cannot some check be put to the whole- 
sale slaughter that at many points still goes on? 
Certainly it is to be hoped so, and the fate that has 
overtaken the herons be averted from less showy but 
more valuable birds. 
L sq 21 
