THE WILD FOWL OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 369 



strip of woodland in the town of Cape Vincent, Jefferson county, where, Mr. Stanley- 

 tells me, a pair of woodcock have bred for several years. 



His explanation of the scarcity of woodcock is, first, the "game hog" hunter 

 who used to frequent this section as long as there was anything left to shoot; 

 and now, the robbing of their nests by vermin and the destruction of their young 

 by hawks and other predatory fowl. Not long since Mr. Stanley shot a large 

 hawk just as it had eaten about half the flesh from a partridge. On another 

 occasion while preparing a night hawk for setting up he found in its crop a 

 couple of young yellow legs, so that he is convinced that similar depredations on 

 the young woodcock are one of the causes that prevents a more rapid increase of 

 this very desirable bird. 



Their food is principally earthworms, though insects, common in damp and 

 spongy woods, are readily devoured. It is said that a woodcock will devour more 

 than its weight of worms in a single night. It has certainly been, demonstrated 

 by actual experiment that it is a gormandizer of no mean capacity. 



Bearing in mind the many obstacles which prevent the increase of this fowl, it 

 seems to me that the law should lend its aid to any reasonable extent necessary 

 to prevent its total extermination. The present law says: "Woodcock shall not 

 be taken from December first to September fifteenth, both inclusive. No person 

 shall take more than thirty-six woodcock in an open season." 



The length of the close season is not so objectionable, though it would have 

 been better had it been a month longer. I would move to amend the law, 

 however, by striking out the word "thirty" in the compound "thirty-six," as 

 the least the Legislature ought to do. 



If, however, our lawmakers were disposed to really do what ought to be done, 

 I would move to amend by striking out all but the enacting clause and substituting: 

 Woodcock shall not be taken, killed, had in possession, nor sold within the State 

 nor carried without the State for a period of ten years after the passage of this 

 act, under a penalty of one hundred dollars for each and every offense upon 

 conviction thereof. Upon conviction the second time for either of the above 

 offenses, a fine of two hundred dollars and an imprisonment at hard labor for one 

 year, or both, at the discretion of the court. This act to take effect immediately. 



From the fact that none of them are sufficiently numerous at any time to 

 attract attention, or to offer any great inducement to the hunter, I have made 

 only a brief allusion to the remaining shore birds which are found throughout 

 this region in greater or less numbers, in proportion to their facilities for 

 obtaining food, or for breeding unmolested. 

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