11 
The Early Abundance of Birds in Massachusetts. 
No investigation into the decrease of birds and its causes 
can be conducted intelligently without some knowledge of 
the relative abundance of the different families of birds at 
the time of the first settlement of the country. Had we 
any full and trustworthy account of the animals of New 
England from the pen of some naturalist of the seventeenth 
century, we could better understand the changes that have 
occurred in the bird fauna of New England since the dis- 
covery of the country. As it is, we must derive our infor- 
mation from the brief, fragmentary and rather unsatisfac- 
tory accounts written by some of the early voyagers and 
settlers. We shall learn little of the smaller land birds of 
the country from these narratives; but all agree that there 
was “ greate store ” of water birds, “ sea fowle ” and game 
birds. 
From Archer’s relation of “ Captaine Gosnol’s voyage to 
the north part of Virginia,” made in 1602, we learn that 
the “ penguin ” (great auk) was found on our shores. This 
bird evidently was once abundant at certain points on the 
coast. Early historians refer to birds now extirpated from 
this region as then existing in great numbers. Swans, cranes, 
wild turkeys, snow geese, passenger pigeons and other birds, 
now either rare or extirpated here, were then found in great 
abundance. There were also then, as now, “ divers sorts of 
singing birds, whose notes salute the ears of travellers with 
an harmonious discord.” 
Capt. John Smith credits the land with an incredible 
abundance of fish, fowl, wild fruits and good timber. 
Francis Higginson writes: “ Fowls of the aire are plentiful 
here. Here are likewise aboundance of turkies often killed 
in the woods. This country doth abound with wild geese, 
wild duckes and other sea fowle, that a great part of the 
winter the planters have eaten nothing but roastmeat of 
divers fowles which they have killed.” 1 
Josselvn writes that he has known “ twelve score and 
more of sanderlins ” to be killed at two shots. 2 
1 “ New England’s plantation,” by Francis Higginson, p. 11. 
2 “ Account of two voyages to New England,” 1638-63, by J. Josselyn. 
