28 
It now remains to take up separately those families of 
birds which are reported as diminishing in Massachusetts, 
that we may see what species most need protection. While 
it is difficult to get accurate reports regarding birds as a 
whole, those regarding particular species are more readily 
obtained. Such reports are the more valuable, as they indi- 
cate just where protection is needed. 
Birds reported as Diminishing in Numbers. 
Family Podicipidce. — Grebes. 
This includes the birds commonly known as dippers,, water 
witches, etc. This family and the one following seem to be 
of comparatively little economic importance so far as the 
farmer is concerned, for the birds composing them get their 
food almost entirely from the water. The pied-billed grebe 
undoubtedly once bred in suitable places about most inland 
bodies of water in this State; it is now known to breed in a 
few localities east of the Connecticut River. It has been 
driven away from at least three nesting places in Massachu- 
setts in the last few years. It is still fairly common in the 
migrations on many of the ponds and rivers in the interior 
of the State, but seems to have decreased greatly on the 
rivers of eastern Massachusetts, where, although its flesh is 
of little value, it is pursued and shot whenever it appears. 
Our laws nominally protect these birds, but they are not 
specifically named in the law, and most gunners are not aware 
that it is illegal to shoot them. This grebe might have been 
able to dive quickly enough (at the flash) to escape the charge 
of the flint-lock gun, but with the modern breech loader at 
close range it has no chance. The horned grebe also probably 
once bred here, but is now seldom seen except in migrations 
or in the winter. Along the coasts on open water the grebes 
are quite well able to take care of themselves, and, as they 
now breed mainly far to the north, where they are little dis- 
turbed by man, our three species continue common on the 
coast in their migrations. 
