306 
RURAL IIOV'RS. 
Tuesday, 2Qih . — A fine bunch of Avoodcock, Avith several par- 
tridges, and a brace of Avood-ducks, brought to the house. The 
woodcock is less common here than the partridge, or the mffed 
grouse rather, as we should call it ; but all our game-birds are rapid- 
ly diminishing in munbers. By the laAvs of the State every county 
is enabled to protect its OAvn property of this kind, by including 
any wild animal, or bird, or fish Avithin the list of those which can 
only be destroyed at certain seasons ; the county courts deciding 
the question in each case. Hitherto more attention has been paid 
to the preservation of game on Long Island than in any other 
part of this State ; and although so near New York, although the 
laws are very imperfectly administered in these, as in some other 
respects, yet the efibrts of the Long Islanders have succeeded in 
a degree at least. The deer, for instance, are said to be actu- 
ally increasing there, and until lately they have preserA-ed more 
game-birds than in most other counties ; they still have, or had 
quite lately, a few of the fine pinnated grouse. In this county 
very little attention has been paid to this subject, and probably 
eA'eiything of the kmd Avill soon disappear from our woods. 
The reckless extermination of the game in the United States 
Avould seem, indeed, without a precedent in the history of the 
world. Probably the buffaloes will be entirely swept from prairies, 
once coA’ered Avith tbeir herds, by this generation.* 
The Avood-ducks brought in this morning were both drakes, 
but yoimg, and consequently they had not acquired their beauti- 
ful plumage. We had one for dinner ; it was very delicate ; a 
* In West Chester County, they have recently had the good sense to extend 
the protection of the game laws to many birds of the smaller kinds, useful to the 
girdiMior “«d farmer, such as the robins, which destroy many troublesome insects 
