110 
kept away from the nesting boxes, the swallows will breed 
well. 
We may help the house wren a little by putting up small 
nesting boxes with the entrance hole no larger than a silver 
quarter. The small size of the entrance probably will serve 
to keep out the sparrow. 
The mourning dove is now (1904) fully protected by law, 
at all times, in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Ver- 
mont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, 
Delaware, the District of Columbia and Virginia. In the 
other Atlantic Coast States it is still on the game list. On 
one occasion in 1904 in Concord I saw twelve birds flying 
up a meadow. A single shot was fired at them by some one, 
and the flock came back ; but there were only eleven birds re- 
maining. The laws which protect this species at all times 
are comparatively recent, and are not as yet generally known 
and respected. These doves are always shot without re- 
straint in fall and winter in the southern States. They 
must be given better protection both north and south, as 
they appear to be decreasing quite generally. 1 
Recapitulation and Conclusion. 
The Decrease of Species. 
1. The action of the elements in 1903-04 was very gen- 
erally disastrous to three species only, — the purple martin, 
the bob-white or quail, and the long-billed marsh wren. The 
sportsmen are making an effort to restock the covers with 
quail, but they meet with indifferent success in obtaining 
birds. The martins appear to be nearly extinct in the 
breeding season; only a few pairs are left in a few locali- 
ties. The marsh wrens appear to be nearly exterminated 
or driven out locally. The chimney swifts suffered greatly, 
and the swallows to a less degree; Carolina rails and Vir- 
ginia rails also suffered much. Other species were much 
reduced locally and some quite generally, but a good breed- 
1 Since the killing of mourning doves was prohibited by law there has been a gradual 
increase and wider distribution of these birds in Massachusetts, but they are as yet 
(1908) only locally common. 
