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ably ; but, notwithstanding that smaller birds have decreased 
about the cities, they are holding their own very well in the 
country. 
Middlesex County. — Mr. C. J. Maynard of Hewtonville, 
a field naturalist of many years’ experience, says : “ Many 
species have decreased at least one-half. Some hold their 
own. A few have considerably increased. Excepting in a 
few species, I do not see much decrease in the last ten years. 
Swallows are going fast.” Mr. Ralph Hoffman of Belmont 
writes : “ The larger birds (hawks, herons, grouse) are de- 
creasing; the smaller birds are about the same. Grouse no 
longer occur.” Mr. Philip T. Coolidge of Watertown writes: 
“ Some species are decreasing. Fully three-fourths as many 
birds as ten years ago. Bob-whites, hawks, the larger owls, 
ducks, shore birds, gulls and terns suffer much from shoot- 
ing.” Mr. E. F. Holden of Melrose says : “ Birds have de- 
creased within ten years, also within two years; perhaps 
three-fourths as many as ten years ago, possibly less.” Mr. 
William Brewster of Cambridge and Concord, the leading 
ornithologist of Hew England, who has been afield much for 
the past forty years, says : “ Birds do not appear to be de- 
creasing generally, but there has been a decrease among swal- 
lows, martins, nighthawks, game birds, birds of prey, certain 
water fowl and waders. I should say that the decrease in 
woodcock, partridges, wood ducks, certain other of the ducks 
and many of the waders (plover, sandpipers, etc.) had been 
continuing ever since I can remember, or upwards of forty 
years.” Mr. C. E. Bailey of Forth Billerica says that birds 
are much reduced in numbers in his locality. Miss Elizabeth 
S. Hill of Groton, who has kept a careful annual record, says 
that some birds are increasing and some decreasing, but that 
for the past ten years the per cent of increase is the larger. 
Her list shows that the principal decrease is found among 
the herons, ducks and birds of prey; the increase is mainly 
among the smaller species. 
Worcester County. — Dr. C. F. Hodge of Worcester re- 
ports birds as increasing rapidly on his premises, and he 
believes there are more in the city than three or four years 
ago. Dr. Hodge is a professor in Clark University, and the 
