Preface. 



This volume is intended to fill a place heretofore unfilled, 

 in at least two respects, by any American work. The former 

 abundance and later decrease of the migratory game birds of 

 eastern North America have been studied and narrated at 

 length for the first time, and the histories of the food species 

 of New England which have been exterminated since the set- 

 tlement of the country have been brought together. This 

 has been done with a purpose. 



Whenever legislation for the protection of shore birds or 

 wild-fowl has been attempted in the Maritime States of the 

 Atlantic seaboard, certain interested individuals have come 

 forward to oppose it, with the plea that these birds are not 

 decreasing in numbers, but, instead, are increasing, and that 

 they need no further protection. Some admit that certain 

 species are decreasing, but argue that shooting is not respon- 

 sible for this condition. Similar statements are made in sup- 

 port of proposed legislation for the repeal of existing protective 

 laws. 



The object of the investigation on which this volume is 

 based was to secure information from historical and ornitho- 

 logical works, and from ornithologists, sportsmen and gun- 

 ners, regarding the increase or decrease of the birds which 

 are hunted for food or sport. 



The report is published with the intention, first, to show 

 the former abundance of resident and migratory game birds 

 in America and their subsequent decrease in numbers; second, 

 to furnish gunners and others with the means of identifying 

 game birds, that the people may recognize the different species 

 and thus fit themselves to observe protective laws ; and third, 

 to demonstrate how these birds may be conserved. The nar- 

 ratives of early explorers and pioneers show plainly the former 

 abundance of game birds. The unbiased statements of omi- 



