Page 71 - Our Vanishing Wild Life

EXTERMINATION STATE BY STATE
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tivorous birds are apparently decreasing rather rapidly; for instance, the eave swal- low. —(William P. Wharton, GrotonJ
Michigan:
Wood-duck,limicolae,woodcock,sandhillcrane. Thegreatwhoopingcraneisnot
awildbird,butIthinkitisnowpracticallyextinct. Manyofourwarblersandsong birds are now exceedingly rare. Ruflfed grouse greatly decreased during the past 10 years.—(W. B. Mershon, Saginaw.)
Minnesota:
The sandhill crane has been killed by sportsmen. I have not seen one in three
years. Wheretherewere,afewyearsago,thousandsofblueherons,egrets,wood ducks, redbirds, and Baltimore orioles, all those birds are now almost extinct in this state. They are being killed by Austrians and Italians, who slaughter every- thing that flies or moves. Robins, too, will be a rarity if more severe penalties are not imposed. I have seized 22 robins, 1 pigeon hawk, 1 crested log-cock, 4 wood- peckers and 1 grosbeak in one camp, at the Lertonia mine, all being prepared for eat- ing. Ihavealsocaughtthempreparingandeatingseagulls,terns,blueheron,egret and even the bittern. I have secured 128 convictions since the first of last Sep- tember. —(George E. Wood, Game Warden, Hibbing, Minnesota.)
From Robert Page Lincoln, Minneapolis.—Partridge are waning fast, quail grad- uallybecomingextinct,prairiechickensalmostextinct. Duck-shootingisrare. The gray squirrel is fast becoming extinct in Minnesota. Mink are going fast, and fur- bearinganimalsgenerallyarebecomingextinct. Thegameispassingsoveryrapidly thatitwillsoonbeathingoftheforgottenpast. Thequailaresufferingmost. The falling off is amazing, and inconceivable to one who has not looked it up. Duck- shootingisrare,theclubsareidleforwantofbirds. Whatduckscomedownflyhigh, being harassed coming down from the north. I consider the southern Minnesota country practically cleaned out.
Missouri:
The birds threatened with extermination are the American woodcock, wood-duck,
snowy egret, pinnated grouse, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, golden eagle, bald eagle, pileated woodpecker.
Montana:
Blue grouse.—(Henry Avare, Helena.)
Sage grouse, prairie and Columbian sharp-tailed grouse, trumpeter swan, Canada goose, in fact, most of the water-fowl. The sickle-billed curlew, of which there were many a few years ago, is becoming scarce. There are no more golden or black- bellied plover in these parts. —(Harry P. Stanford, Kalispell.)
Curlew, Franklin grouse (fool hen) and sage grouse. —W. R. Felton, Miles City. Sage grouse.—(L. A. Huffman, Miles City.) Ptarmigan,wood-duck,sharp-tailedgrouse,sagegrouse,foolhenandplover. All
game birds are becoming scarce as the country becomes settled and they are confined to uninhabited regions.—(Prof. M. J. Elrod, Missoula.)
Nebraska:
Grouse, prairie chicken and quail.—(H. N. Miller, Lincoln.) Whistling swan.—(Dr. S. G. Towne, Omaha.)
New Hampshire:
Wood-duck and upland plover.
New York:
Quail, woodcock, upland jjlover, golden plover, black-bellied plover, willet, dow-
itcher, red-breasted sandpiper, long-billed curlew, wood-duck, purple martin, red- headed woodpecker, mourning dove; gray squirrel, otter.
New Jersey:
Ruffed grouse, teal, canvasback, red-head duck, widgeon, and all species of shore
birds, the most noticeable being black-bellied plover, dowitcher, golden plover, killdeer.