Sept. 27, rgo2.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
247 
for the first date in each case, thus cutting off spring 
sheotiiig, these seasons would be ideal. 
Sp[in| ai:.d Sumin<:r Shooting. 
Fortl*hately, a number of States that formerly coun- 
tenanced the unseasonable slaughter of woodcock in 
spring or summer (which is only comparable to killing 
nursing does or taking trout from the spawning beds) 
have now enacted proper laws. Nevertheless, spring 
or summer shooting, deplorable as it must seem to any- 
one who has even a passing interest in the bird, still 
exists in half the States which have protecting seasons.f 
Twenty-six States and the District of Columbia give pro- 
tection for at least part of the year. Of these, Vir- 
ginia, South Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee still 
Distribution of the woodcock (Philohela miiiin). Shaded area shows 
range of species. 
tolerate spring shooting. The season closes in Virginia 
and South Carolina on April r, and in the other two 
States a month earlier. It is pretty certain that in 
Alabama and Tennessee the suntmer residents commence 
nesting early in February, and that in South Carolina 
and Virginia they have eggs, or possibly young, by the 
middle of March. Consequently, four eggs, or as many 
cbUow young, are apt to perish with each pair of birds 
shot during the two or three weeks. prior to the close 
of the season in those States. 
Suinmer shooting is still permitted in nine States and 
the District of Columbia and on Long Island. It be- 
gins on June 20 in Kentucky; on July i in the District 
of Columbia and Indiana; on or before July 15 in West 
Virginia, Minnesota and Iowa; on Aug. i in Missouri 
and on Long Island; and is restricted to the month of 
July in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland. There 
are no statistics to show what proportion of the young 
birds hunted are able to fly as early as July, but Judg- 
ing from tile experience of ornithologists and the state- 
ments, of a few market hunters the proportion must be 
lafjge.' One rather frank market hunter stated that he 
quite often killed the parent and young without mov- 
ing from the position where the birds were first flushed. 
He would kill one or two as they took wing, and secure 
the others on the ground when they had alighted, usually 
Summer shooting is even more disastrous; in many lo- 
calities practically all the resident birds are destroyed 
before the young are strong enough to care for them- 
selves. 
In the Southern States, where the bird winters, and 
where it has utterly inadequate protection, the sports- 
men should I'ally, and by concerted action make a strong 
effort to have proper laws enacted. A short open sea- 
son of not over six weeks should take the place of the 
present practically unrestricted one; a limit should be 
placed on the size of the bag; and, beyond allowing a 
sportsman to carry a few birds with hitn on his return 
home, all shipment should be prohibited. 
With the adoption of the mea.<;ures here suggested, 
the principal danger would be averted, and if, in addi- 
tion, sportsmen and others would take an unselfish 
view of the matter and work for a universal close sea- 
son covering two or three years, the restoration of this 
noble bird would be assured. One locality has already 
taken this course. In Rensselaer County, N. Y., wood- 
cock cannot be lawfully shot until 1903. If this credit- 
able example were to be generally followed throughout 
the region inhabited by the woodcock there could be no 
question as to the result. Such action on the part of 
the Northern States would have the cooperation of On- 
tario, which has a law empowering it to act with two 
or more of the States lying to the south of that Prov- 
ince (one of such States being either New York or 
Pennsylvania, or Michigan) in prohibiting for a period 
all hunting, shooting and sale of any migratory game 
bird that appears to be in danger of extinction.* 
Unless sportsmen and others especially interested will 
take this matter in hand and secure proper legislation 
for the better protection of the woodcock, future genera- 
tions will have cause to grieve over the loss of one of the 
finest game birds that ever graced a covert. 
Wood Dacfc (Aix Sponsa). 
The wood duck, or summer duck, is the most beauti- 
ful of all the members of the large and diversified duck 
family, and, on account of its beauty and lack of shyness, 
is one of the best known species in the country. It is not 
seclusive, often making its abode near towns, or per- 
haps in the vicinity of farmhouses, where it may be 
found feeding or associating with barnyard ducks. It 
takes kindly to domestication, and is easily tamed and 
induced to breed in captivity. Its favorite haunts are 
small lakes, weedy ponds, or shady streams in the midst 
of, or in close proximity to, scattered woodlands, and, 
except during migration, it is rarely rnet with about 
open bays or large bodies of water. 
Distrfbuttoa. I 
The wood duck is found from Nova Scotia, New 
Brunswick and Ontario -westward to British Columbia, 
and southward through- the- United States . tt) its south- 
ern border and Cuba. It is rather uncommon in the 
eastern Canadian Provinces, but in parts of Manitoba 
and British Columbia it is abundant. In the Saskatclie- 
wan region it has been found as far north as latitude 54", 
and on the west shore of Hudson Bay as high as lati- 
tude 60°, but it is rare north of latitude So°. 
In the United States it is commonly distributed in the 
The Wood Duck (Aix sponsa^. 
within a hundred feet of the point at which tjley were 
flushed. 
If a locality is closely hunted during the sumtiier most 
of the birds are killed, and not enough are left to keep 
up the breeding stock. The District of Columbia is a 
good example of the pernicious effects of this unseason- 
able shooting. Twenty-five years ago there was hardly 
.a swamp of any size that did not have its pair of breed- 
ing woodcock. It is stated that at least two pairs bred 
every summer Avithin the limits of the present Zoological 
Park, and that it was not rare to flush a bird in the 
less populous sections of the city. At present, breeding 
• hirds are far more difficult to find; it is doubtful if they 
equal 10 per cent, of the former number. 
Preventive Measures 
To prevent any further decrease of the woodcock, one 
of the first steps is to abolish all .spring and summer shoot- 
ing. It has been shown that spring shooting is harmful 
on account of the number of parent birds killed, either 
tTen States. W'itfeli ill 'the aggregate include nearly halt the 
. tea inhahilcd by the woodcock, give it absolutely no protection. 
,vl]en nesting or while caring ior dependent young, 
Mississippi Valley and eastward, as well as along the 
Pacific coast from Washington to southern California, 
but, except in a few isolated localities, it is very rare or 
absent in the Great Basin, Rocky Mountain, and Great 
Plains regions. Although it is common in Texas, evi- 
dences of its occurrence in Mexico are unsatisfactory, 
though it probably may be found in the more northern 
portion during winter. It is resident in Cuba, and 
,stragglers have been taken in Jamaica and Bermuda, 
It breeds throughout the greater part of its range, and 
since over a considerable part of its breeding area it is 
the only representative of the duck family during the 
nesting season, the name "summer duck," by which it 
is often designated, is very appropriate, 
Habits. 
In ilie South the wood duck commences to breed early 
in March, and in the more northern parts of the range 
* New York within the past year has taken steps looking to the 
establishment of such cooperation as Ontario suggests. The game 
warden of that State has communicated with game associations in 
several States with a view fo establishing, in conjunction witli 
Ontario, a close sfjasQij for woodcock ami wood ducks for a terni 
years. 
about a month later. In Florida and Texas full comple- 
ments of eggs have been found by the ist of April; in 
Maine by May 10, The nests are almost invariably 
placed in cavities in trunks or limbs of trees, often at 
a considerable height from the ground, and are occasion- 
ally quite a distance from water. The eggs, which vary 
in number from six to fifteen, according to the age of 
the bird, resemble old ivory itr color. 
Diagram of Woodcocfc Season. Variatfons. 
WMle the fetnales are incubating or caring for the 
young, the drakes of a neighborhood band together and 
may be seen flying about or feeding in company. Ob- 
servers differ as to whether these bands remain unbroken 
and aloof from the females and yotmg through the en- 
tire brooding period or separate at intervals during the 
day to visit their mates. 
Tile flight of the wood duck is swift and graceful, and 
the bird rivals the grouse and quail in the ease and 
facility with which it glides through the woods and 
among the branches. 
The food consists of various kinds of insects, the 
seeds and leaves of aquatic plants, and beechnuts, chest- 
nuts and acorns. Its fondness for the latter, on which 
it feeds largely in autumn, gives it in some localities the 
name "acorn duck." 
Spring Shooting. 
Within the past few years friends of game protection 
have felt encouraged not only by the apparent awaken- 
ing of a more healthy public sentiment against undue 
destruction of birds and mammals, but also by the pro- 
gressive movement in the direction of more extended 
and ntorc uniform close seasons. But although much 
has been done for the protection of upland game, little 
has been accomplished toward saving the waterfowl. 
Unaccountable as it may seem, ducks are considered 
legitimate game at a season when they are hurrying to 
their nesting grounds, and spring shooting is still tol- 
erated in a great majority of the States, Ducks killed 
in spring are often in wretched condition, and thousands 
find their way to the big markets that certainly would 
be condemned as improper food if inspection laws were 
rigidly enforced. 
Let it be said, howe\'er, to their lasting credit, that 
seven States (New Hampshire, Vermont, Michigan, 
Wisconsin, Minnesota, Utah and California) and three 
Canadian Provinces (Manitoba, Ontario and New Bruns- 
wick), by closing the season before Feb. i, have abol- 
i.shcd spring shooting within their borders. 
On the other hand, more than half the States per- 
mit duck shooting as late as April and at least 
eighteen allow it throughout this month. It is to 
be regretted that such States as Iowa, the Dako- 
tas, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado, which con- 
tain large breeding grounds, should be among the 
number that extend the open season to April or later. 
This unseasonable slaughter is steadily depleting the 
ranks of even the most abundant species. And if the 
migratory ducks (those merely passing on their way to 
their more northerly breeding grounds) are thus af- 
fected, what must be the effect on a species like the 
wood duck, which breeds over a wide extent of unpro- 
tected territory? The question is not hard to answer, 
ft is only necessary to point to the fact that this hand- 
some bird is now almost unknown in many places where 
once it was common, an.d where it added both life and 
attractiveness to the surroundings. 
It goes without saying that birds are more easily and 
more completely destroyed on the breeding grounds than 
on aj^eas which they merely pass over during migra- 
tion; for when the breeding season arrives and the nest- 
ing site is chosen, birds become less shy and more in- 
clined to remain in the neighborhood, so that gunners 
(the term "sportsmen" cannot be used in this connec- 
tion), while in search for late migrants, have little diffi- 
culty in killing all the wood ducks that are to be found. 
Massachusetts and four counties of Maryland recog- 
nize the special danger surrounding the wood duck, ahd 
make the season much shorter than for other ducks. 
This is as it should be. But Louisiana reverses the 
proper goiirse, and permits the wood dtjck to be kflied 
