Page 52 - Our Vanishing Wild Life

30 OUR VANISHING WILD LIFE
The Woodcock {Philohela minor), is a bird regarding which my bird-hunting friends and I do not agree. I say that as a species it is steadily disappearing, and presently will become extinct, unless it is accorded better protection. They reply: "Well, I can show you where there are woodcock yet!"
A few months ago a Nova Scotian writer in Forest and Stream came out with the bold prediction that three more years of the usual annual slaughter of woodcock will bring the species to the verge of extinction in that Province.
It is such occurrences as this that bring the end of a species
"Last fall [1911, at Norwalk, Conn.] we had a good flight of wood- cock, and it is a shame the way they were slaughtered. I know of a number of cases where twenty were killed by one gun in the day, and heard of one case of fifty. This is all wrong, and means the end of the woodcock,ifcontinued. Thereisnodoubtweneedabaglimitonwood- cock, as much as on quail or partridge." ("Woodcock" in Forest and Stream, Mar. 2, 1912.)
As far back as 1901, Dr. A. K. Fisher of the Biological Survey pre- dicted that the woodcock and wood-duck would both become extinct unless better protected. As yet, the better protection demanded has not materialized to any great extent.
Says Mr. Forbush, State Ornithologist of Massachusetts, in his admirable "Special Report," p. 45:
"The woodcock is decreasing all over its range in the East, and needs thestrongestprotection. Ofthirty-eightMassachusettsreports,thirty- six state that "woodcock are decreasing," "rare" or "extinct," while one states that they are holding their own, and one that they are increas- ing slightly since the law was passed prohibiting their sale."
Let not any honest American or Canadian, sportsman lullaby him- self into the belief that the woodcock is safe from extermination. As sureastheworld,itisgoing! Thefactthatalittlepockethereorthere contains a few birds does not in the slightest degree disprove the main fact. If the sportsmen of this country desire to save the seed stock of woodcock, they must give it everywhere five or ten-year close seasons, and do it immediately!
Our Shore Birds in General.—This group of game birds will be the first to be exterminated in North America as a group. Of all our birds, these are the most illy fitted to survive. They are very con- spicuous,veryunwary,easytofindifalive,andeasytoshoot. Neverin my life have any shore birds except woodcock and snipe appealed to me asrealgame. Theyaretooeasytokill,tootrivialwhenkilled,andsome ofthemaretoorankandfishyontheplate. AsgameformenIplacethem onalevelwithbarnyardducksororchardturkeys. Iwouldassoonbe caught stealing a sheep as to be seen trying to shoot fishy yellow legs or little joke sandpipers for the purpose of feeding upon them. And yet, thousands of full-grown men, some of them six feet high, grow indignant
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