INTRODUCTION. 13 



mouth of the Omaha River, October 1, 1843: " The wild Geese 

 are innumerable." Again on October 3, when he passed 

 Soldier River, he writes : " The Geese and Ducks are abun- 

 dant beyond description." 



Murphy (1882) said that it was doubtful if the wild-fowl 

 were as abundant in any other part of the world as they were 

 even then on the North American continent, " myriads " being 

 the only word that could give an idea of their numbers. In 

 the seasons of migration the country so swarmed with them 

 that they presented the appearance of numerous clouds of 

 feathers, and the number of species was greater than those of 

 any other part of the globe. ^ 



In presenting the following well-considered statements of 

 standard writers, I cannot vouch for the accuracy of their 

 assertions; but, as most of them are known as authorities on 

 ornithology or sportsmanship, they will no doubt receive the 

 credence justly due them. 



Audubon writes (1838) that innumerable Ducks fed in beds 

 of thousands, or filled the air at Chesapeake Bay; and that 

 great flocks of Swans, looking Hke banks of snow, rested near 

 the shores. 



Lewis, writing of Chesapeake Bay (1850), says that all 

 species of wild-fowl resorted there then, in number beyond 

 credence or computation; and that it was necessary for a 

 stranger to visit the region, in order to form a just idea of the 

 wonderful multitudes and numberless varieties that darkened 

 the waters and hovered in interminable flocks around the 

 feeding grounds.^ 



Frank Forester avers that the bay and its tributary rivers 

 were frequented by innumerable hordes of wild-fowl. 



Murphy states that the bay during the season was like a 

 battle ground, and that over ten thousand people were accus- 

 tomed to shoot there. 



Grinnell says that in early days slave owners, who hired 

 out their slaves to others, stipulated in the contract that 

 Canvas-back Ducks should not be fed to them more than 

 twice each week; and copies of such contracts are said to be 



1 Murphy, John Mortimer: American Game Bird Shooting, 1882, pp. 265, 266. 



2 Lewis, Elisha J.: The American Sportsman, 1855, pp. 246, 247. 



