8 MEMOIRS OF THE NUTTALL ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB 



in 1918, the Enabling Act for enforcing the law was passed by Congress. Insec- 

 tivorous and song birds, Wood Ducks, Swans, Wild Pigeons, Mourning Doves, 

 Herons, Bitterns, Cranes, Eagles, Fish Hawks, Marsh Hawks, small owls, gulls, 

 and terns and all shore-birds, — with the exception of the Black-bellied and Golden 

 Plovers, Snipe, and Greater and Lesser Yellow-legs, — are protected at all times 

 and their feathers are not to be used for millinery purposes. Spring shooting of 

 water-fowl throughout the country has been forbidden. In Massachusetts, the 

 open season for water-fowl extends from September 15 to December 31. The 

 opening of the season for shooting shore-birds, now restricted to the two species 

 of yellow-legs and of plover mentioned above, is August 16 instead of July 15 as 

 previously. All birds are protected on Sundays and from sunset to a half hour 

 before sunrise. In 1918, approximately 65,ocx) hunting licenses were issued in 

 Massachusetts. 



Another cause for change in the bird-life of the County may be ascribed to 

 certain insect pests. Brown-tail and gypsy moths, accidentally introduced from 

 Europe, had begun their pernicious work long prior to 1905, but after that date 

 they increased so in numbers and spread so universally throughout the County 

 that many orchards and woodlands were devastated, and dead and dying trees 

 were common. Apple trees and oaks were particularly affected. Not only 

 directly in this manner did these pests influence the environment of the birds of 

 the County, but indirectly the influence was still greater owing to the measures 

 used for the control of the pests. Underbrush was cleaned up by cutting and 

 burning, holes in trees were closed, egg-clusters were creosoted, arsenical spraying 

 was conducted on a very extensive scale, and bands of workmen went through 

 the country like a devouring flame. 



The remedy, as far as the birds were concerned and to a considerable extent 

 as regards the vegetation, was worse than the disease. Although spraying is 

 often necessary to save individual trees, the great aid that can be rendered by 

 birds is thereby to a large extent removed. The filling-up of holes in trees has a 

 bad effect on the nesting of Flickers, Tree Swallows, Chickadees, and Bluebirds, 

 while the cutting-down and burning of bushes and underbrush interferes with 

 the nesting of warblers, thrashers, vireos, and many other birds. In Swamp- 

 scott, for example. White-eyed Vireos and Chats were practically eliminated. 

 That a large number of birds are killed by the arsenical fluid used in spraying, 

 there can be little doubt. Birds have been seen to drink of the poisonous drops 

 that remain on leaves, in the same way that they drink the dew. Mr. M. Abbott 

 Frazar, the well-known Boston taxidermist, tells me that orioles and other birds, 

 showing no signs of injury and presumably poisoned, are brought to him for 

 mounting in considerable numbers during the spraying season. 



