Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-07-10
TWO VANISHING GAME BIRDS

Communicated.
The Department OF Agriculture ir4
one Of its bulletins just issued, entitled
1.-Two Vanishing Game Birds, thu
Woodcock and the Wood Duck, - utters
a warning which all sportsmen and
especially those in our own State
should heed.
Mr.. A. X. Fisher, ornithologist Of
the department, the author of the bull.
letin, in his introduction says: Unless
strong protective measures are soon
adopted the woodcock and wood duck,
two popular and valuable game birds,
will become extinct--the woodcock ali
solutely, the wood duck over a large
part of its range. 1t is the purpose Of
the present paper to call attention to
the impending extinction of these birds,
to point out the causes, and, SO far as
possible, to suggest means of proven
tion.
OF the woodcock he says:
ut is probably true that none of our
game birds is SO universally esteemed
as the woodcock. The many sportsmen
who find pleasure in following coveys
of bobwhite through stubble field and
covert in autumn, and those who enter
! the wild and rugged haunts of the
ruffed grouse, frequently abandon their
| chosen pursuit to search alder swamp
or hazel hillside to add the woodcock
| to their bag. Nor is the bird favorite
with sportsmen alone; it is equally
highly regarded by the epicure, and to
| fill the demand for the table it is much
sought by those who shoot to supply
the market. The high price it com
| mand5 is great incentive to its
| slaughter at unreasonable times, and
| this is the most potent factor working
| to its ultimate extinction.
The growing scarcity of woodcock
| is matter of serious alarm, and one
| demanding prompt action. 1t must be
| remembered that there is far more
difficulty in saving it from extinction
than in preserving gallinaceous birds,
such as quail and grouse. In the casa
of these birds, with their extraordinary
fecundity, it is not difficult to restore
a depleted covert; for, with the adj
dition of a few imported birds, aided
by short term of protection, they
should soon reach their former abund-
ance. With the woodcock, however,
the situation is different; for the i'm
practicability of restocking, the nature
of the food, the migratory habits, and
the small number OF young are serioua
obstacles to successful restoration.
Quick and effective measures are
/ needed.
ITO prevent any further decrease Of
the woodcock, one of the first STEPS is
to abolish all spring and summer
shooting
"Spring shooting is harmful on &C.
count of the number of parent birds
killed, either when nesting or while
caring for dependent young Summer
shooting is even more disastrous; in
many localities practically all the resi-
dent birds are destroyed before the
young are strong enough to care for
themselves.
"Unless sportmen and others es-
pecially interested will take this mat
ter in hand and secure proper legisla-
tion for the better protection Of the
woodcock, future generations will have
cause to grieve over the loss of one of
the. finest game. birds that ever graced
a covert. "
OF the wood duck, Mr.. Fisher says:
"The wood duck, or summer duck,
is the most beautiful of all the mem
bers of the large and diversified duck
family, and, on account of its beauty
and lack of shyness, is one of the best
known species in the country. 1t is
not seclusive, often making its abode
near towns, or perhaps in the vicinity
of farmhouses, where it may be found
feeding or associating with barnyard
ducks. 1t takes kindly to domestica-
tion, and is easily tanned and induced
to breed in captivity. Its favorite
haunts are small lakes, weedy ponds.
or shady streams in the midst of, or
in close proximity to, scattered wood
lands, and, except during migration,
it is rarely met with about open bays
or large bodies Of water.
within the past few years friends OF
game protection have felt encouraged
not only by the apparent awakening of
a more healthy public sentiment
against undue destruction of birds and
mammals, but also by the progressive
movement in the direction of more ex-
tended and more uniform close seasons.
But although much has been done for
the protection of upland game, little
has been accomplished toward saving
the waterfowl. Unaccountable as it
may seem, ducks are considered legiti-
mate game at season when they are
hurrying to their nesting grounds,
and spring shooting is still tolerated
ina great majority of the States. Ducks
killed in spring are often in wretched
condition, and thousands find their way
to the big markets that certainly
would be condemned as improper food
| il inspection laws were rigidly en-
| forced. But as long as th1S numerous
custom is tolerated, just so long will
the wood duck be absent from our
ponds and streams. Sportsmen willing
to deny themselves little present
sport for the sake of future gain to
themselves and posterity should spare
no efforts to save and restore this
beautiful bird. If spring shooting be
!, abolished the wood duck will gradually
return to its old haunts and by degrees
re-establish itself-to the joy and sat-
isfaotion of all lovers Of nature"
Our own lawns permit summer shoot
ing of woodcock, and for some uusc-
countable reason Delaware has always
withheld from the wood duck the pro-
lection afforded all other ducks, and
allows its killing at all seasons.
> The time has come when our self
! respecting sportsmen should see that
: suitable laws, protecting both of these
birds, are enacted, either a number
: of close years, or the total prohibition
of all but fall shooting.
Desirable Shade Trees.
The government entomologist, Prof
o. L. Howard, has made rating of
shade trees according to their inn
munity from the attacks of insects, the
trees most immune being rated at
three and thosa aufferino most at