
506 NOTES ON SOME OF THE 
other causes, be traced. As is well known, the mammalian 
and bird faun of all the older settled parts of the United 
States are vastly different from what they were two hundred 
years ago. These changes consist mainly in the great de- 
crease in numbers of the representatives of all the larger 
species, not a few of which are already extirpated where 
they were formerly common ; a few of the smaller species of 
both classes have doubtless increased in numbers. Two 
causes operate unfavorably upon the larger ones; the disfor- 
esting of the country and the sporting propensities of the 
. people, everything large enough to be shot, whether useful 
or otherwise, being considered as legitimate game. e 
former destroys the natural haunts of many species, while 
the latter destroys and drives away others that would other- 
wise remain. Many of the water-fowl that are now only 
transient visitors, as the Canada Goose, the several species 
of Merganser, Teals, Black Duck and Mallard, undoubtedly 
once bred in this State, as did also the Wild Turkey and the 
Prairie Hen. Several of the Gulls and probably some of 
the Tringe have been driven, like the Ducks and Geese, 
to seek more northern breeding grounds. In comparatively 
recent times, geologically speaking, probably other causes; 
as climatic, have been operating to effect a gradual nort 
ward migration, in certain species at least. These changes 
are of great interest, not only generally, but in a scientific 
point of view, and we shall be able to trace them and their 
causes only by comparing, from time to time, exhaustive 
faunal records of the same localities. i 
In a district so little diversified as that portion of Massa- 
chusetts lying east of the Connecticut River, it is perhaps 
a little unexpected that marked discrepancies should occur 
in the observations made at adjoining localities by equally 
competent naturalists, in respect to the relative abundance 
of certain species. As every experienced observer must 
have noticed that the birds of passage, as many of tbe 
 Warblers especially, vary greatly in numbers in different 








